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TAKE PART IN THE GREAT SOUTHEAST POLLINATOR CENSUS
In 2019, the University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension Service launched The Great Southeast Pollinator Census. Since that time, the census has been adopted in the states of North Carolina, Florida, and South Carolina.
This year marks the seventh anniversary of this citizen science-based wildlife service. During the past six years, the number of participants has grown from more than 4,000 participants in the inaugural count to more than 18,000 in 2025.
The scientists that are spearheading this initiative have three goals. One goal is to enhance public awareness of the wide variety of pollinators that live in this part of the world. The second goal is the encourage the public to maintain and create pollinator habitats. In addition, the efforts of thousands of volunteers will help develop a database that can be used to identify and monitor pollinator populations.
The 2025 Great Southeast Pollinator Census will be staged August 22-23.
Volunteers are asked to identify and count the number of pollinators they see visiting a pollen-bearing plant of their choice during a 15-minute period.
Census takers separate the insects they see into eight categories (carpenter bees, bumblebees, honeybees, small bees, wasps, flies, butterflies/moths, and other insects.
Fortunately, you do not have to be an expert entomologist to perform this task. The reason for this the count coordinators provide each participant a full color guide that makes separating the insects into the proper categories easy.
If you think you would like to join the Georgia Count Team, go online to the Great Southeast Pollinator website. There you will find all you need to know about the survey as well as survey forms and the insect identification guide.
Check it out. It is a great way to serve as a citizen scientist.
OUR MOST BEAUTIFUL COCKROACH
If there was ever a contest to crown Georgia’s most beautiful cockroach, I am certain that the winner would be the pale-bordered field cockroach (Pseudomops septentrionalis). I never thought that it is impossible to describe a cockroach is being beautiful. Then a few days ago, I just happened to find a pale-bordered field cockroach. When I first looked at it, it appeared to be a bauble that had fallen of a necklace or bracelet. Upon closer examination, I saw the object had six legs and was adorned with a distinctive pattern that was far different from any cockroach I have ever seen.
This cockroach is small (1/2 to 5/8 inches long). Unlike the cockroaches we are familiar with, it rarely ventures into our homes. Instead, it remains outside living its life in the thick cover found in our backyards, gardens, and natural areas. It is particularly fond of mulch, and woodpiles. It is a scavenger that spends the daylight hours feeding on the juices of low-growing plants and flowers. Fortunately, it does not damage plants nor is a garden pest. In addition, unlike other cockroaches, they are not known to carry any diseases that can infect humans.
This insect is not native to the United States. Instead, its home range includes Mexico and Costa Rica. Interestingly, some experts believe it was accidentally brought here in shipments of bananas.
If you spot a pale-bordered field cockroach in your backyard, I suspect that you might exclaim, “It is the most beautiful cockroach I have ever seen!”
BACKYARD SECRET – CURRENT DRAGONFLIES ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN THEIR ANCIENT KIN
Dragonflies are some of the largest insects that we see in our backyards; however, they are much smaller than their ancient relatives.
The largest dragonfly alive today has an impressive wingspan of about five inches. However, the size of modern-day dragonflies is considerably smaller than some of their ancient relatives.
Remarkably, scientists have unearthed 300-million-year-old dragonfly fossils with wingspans that are more than two feet wide.
Wow! If the dragonflies in my backyard were that large, I would be afraid to leave the house.
MORE ON JORO SPIDERS
Joro spiders continue to spread across Georgia. Wherever they establish themselves, hosts of homeowners find themselves on the front line of battle against this foreign invader. Recently, two of our fellow bloggers shared their experiences with these large predators. Below you will find what they have to say.
Susan says:
I just freed a baby boy hummingbird from a Joro spider web. I did not take a picture, he was screaming and fighting to get loose, poor baby, it took a while to pick off all the webbing and smooth out his feathers-after being a little frantic in my hand he settled down and let me turn him every which way to free him. Luckily, when I was done, he flew away. I sweep the webs down daily that are around the house and in the flower beds but I missed this one. I live in Toccoa, Ga. I hate Joro spiders and kill as many as I can. They are not supposed to live here and are harmful to our natives.
Penny says:
Perhaps I can provide some information about how Joro spiders adversely affect hummers: the first point is these huge spiders weave very large webs, and their “silk” is much stronger than the average spider. If you ever ran into one, you would know because you can literally hear snapping as they break.
Joros are very observant and intelligent creatures, and they weave their webs where their food of interest frequents. There have been numerous reports of hummers flying into Joro webs that are merely inches from nectar feeders. Hummers also encounter webs in large flowering bushes such as lantanas. Joro web silk is incredibly strong, and hummers fly right into the webs and cannot free themselves.
It pays to visit your feeders and bushes and remove the webs periodically. I hope this helps!
AN EASY WAY TO HELP OUR INSECT POLLINATORS
Most Georgians are aware that honeybee populations are plummeting throughout the country. However, the fact that populations of native bees and other insect pollinators are also declining is less widely known. Pollinators play a key role in the production of food throughout the world. The impact of pollinators is worth $635 million annually in Georgia alone. On top of that, while introduced honeybees perform much of the pollination of many of our food crops, other insect pollinators also have a huge impact on the pollination of native plants and commercial crops alike. In fact, it is estimated that one group of pollinators known as solitary bees perform a third of the pollination of food eaten by humans around the world.
Realizing that an important step in launching an effort to conserve pollinators is to determine the status of insect pollinators in Georgia is to conduct a census of these valuable insects. With this in mind, in 2018, the University of Georgia launched the Great Georgia Pollinator Census. In 2023, the survey was renamed the Great Southeast Pollinator Census when South and North Carolina as well as Florida joined the survey effort.
This year the dates of the Survey are August 23-24.
This massive survey depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers. While the number of participants in the survey increases every year, there is a need for far more individuals to better survey each individual state. With this in mind, the UGA is asking for our assistance.
I have participated in the survey since its inception. I have found it to be fun and simple. All that is required is that you survey the pollinators visiting one particular plant for 15 minutes. During this time, surveyors simply count the insects they see. Participants separate each insect into one of eight categories: bumblebees, carpenter bees, small bees, honeybees, wasps, butterflies/moths, flies, and other insects. The UGA provides a full color guide to help identify members of each group. Once a survey is completed, the data is uploaded using the survey’s online portal.
For more information on this great way to contribute to the conservation of our wild insect pollinators, go to the Great Southeast Pollinator Census website (gsepc.org).
BACKYARD SECRET – BUMBLEBEES HAVE AN ODD WAY TO COOL DOWN DURING HOT WEATHER
When it gets extremely hot, humans can go inside to escape the heat. However, this is not an option for the bumblebees. Although bumblebees have a number of ways to cope with extremely hot weather, probably the most bizarre is they can regurgitate nectar onto the bodies.
DRAGONFLIES ARE BIG EATERS
Dragonflies are among the most voracious predators in the entire animal kingdom. In an effort to satisfy their appetites they capture and devour a wide range of prey animals including bees, flies, mosquitoes, butterflies and other flying insects.
The insatiable appetites of some species of dragonflies are legendary. For example, a single dragonfly can eat literally hundreds of mosquitoes in a single day.
A scientist once tried to see if he could determine how many houseflies it would take to satisfy the hunger of dragonfly. He held a dragonfly in place by tying down its wings. He then proceeded to feed it houseflies one at a time. Several hours later, the researcher gave up when the dragonfly showed no signs of having eaten its fill!
Hmmm, this sounds like all homeowners should rejoice when the see dragonflies patrolling their backyards.
EVIDENCE 13-YEAR CIDADAS HAVE BEEN HERE
For some of us, the appearance of the XIX brood of 13-year cicadas is just about over. I am now hearing just a few males singing. Yesterday while mowing the lawn, I saw only three. However, I am finding cicada wings and bodies scattered everywhere. My wife Donna spotted something I overlooked. She noticed that the leaves on the tips of several branches on a small oak tree growing in our front yard had turned brown.
This was a clear indication that cicadas had successfully mated and deposited their eggs in those now displaying dead leaves. This is because after mating, female 13-year cicadas lay their rice-shaped eggs in the very tips of branches. In some cases, this causes the leaves to die. However, this is rarely a detriment to the tree. Once the eggs hatch, cicada nymphs topple to the ground and burrow into the soil that will be their home for the next 13 years.
Dead leaves on oak tree; Photo credit: Donna Johnson
BACKYARD SECRET – RECIPES FOR FOLKS THAT EAT CICADAS
If you live within the range of the XIX brood of the 13-year cicada, during the past few weeks one of your main topics of conversation has been the emergence of literally millions of these large, noisy insects. During this time, I am sure one topic has been, “do people eat cicadas?” The answer is a resounding yes!
If you have been a little too squeamish to try one yourself, perhaps it is because you do not know how to properly prepare them. If this is indeed the case, the University of Georgia’s Department of Food Science and Technology has posted a wealth of information regarding how you can cook mouth-watering dishes using cicadas, their nutritive value, and much more.
If you are willing to expand your dining experiences to include cicadas, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Keep in mind, if you don’t eat one of these odd insects this year, you will have to wait 13 years before you can pop one into your mouth.
Here is the UGA link. https://site.extension.uga.edu/foodscienceandtechnology/add-a-little-crunch-to-your-diet-with-cicadas-how-to-harvest-store-and-prepare-food-from-brood-xix-emergence-in-georgia/