Explore Outdoors ~ Milkweed Bugs

 

 

Now I ask you: is this not a beautiful bug? And bug it is - a "true" bug, with sucking mouthparts and all. The large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) is marked with two black diamonds separated by a black band. It feeds exclusively on the sap and seeds of milkweed plants - sap that is toxic to most animals. But these bugs happily chug it down because it doesn't make them sick, and it confers upon them a certain advantage: animals won't eat them because of the bitter taste. Eat one milkweed bug and you won't eat another! You can read more about milkweed bugs on this post.

 

If you have milkweed growing near you, look closely. You might find a milkweed bug or two - and maybe some other milkweed visitors.

Explore Outdoors ~ Seeds in the Garden

 I am one of those "lazy" gardeners who doesn't clean up at the end of the season. I leave the seedheads standing, hoping that birds will drop by and chow down on the seeds over winter. And sure enough, they have.

Not all seeds are gone... many of the milkweed pods are still filled with seeds and their fine, fibrous parachutes. Every time we get a strong wind, I expect these seeds to take flight. But no, even though the wind tugs at their fibers, they continue to cling to their cozy pod. Maybe next storm...

What seeds are you finding in gardens and along roadsides?