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I Live in a World of Wonder
p3skyking
Member Posts: 25,750 ✭
I enjoy this time of year as my property is a haven for life. I use no pesticides and maybe a gallon of herbicide a year. Birds, squirrels, insects, reptiles, and arachnids all have a safe haven.
I've identified my yard spiders as banana, orchard, and Florida crab. They build their webs normally where I don't walk as a general rule.
The bananas I pass close by to know I'm not going to hurt them. They used to scamper off if I touched their webs. Now it doesn't faze them. Some times they'll even come to my fingers and let me lift up one of their front legs.
This year one banana built it's orb right outside the gate I go to the Honda through. Every night he would bring his web down to about five feet and I would have to demolish the bottom to get through. This banana is one that lets me lift his leg and stroke his back without fleeing. I kept telling him to build his web higher and I put a beetle in his web yesterday that he promptly cocooned.
This morning the web was almost six feet up! I only had to slightly stoop to get under it without damage.
I wish to God I knew when I was a kid what I know now. Some things need killing, but a helluva lot of things don't, more not than do.
Everything is here for a reason although poison snakes and gators will live if they're somewhere besides here. I don't give a damn if this sounds hoaky, some of you will know what I'm talking about.
One year I befriended a female praying mantis. Every afternoon she would be waiting for me on the same limb of the same fir tree. It saddened me after a cold snap that I never saw her again. She would walk up my arm and across my shoulders and down the other arm back to the branch.
Sometimes life just awes the Hell out of me and I don't care who knows. Life is good. [:I]
I've identified my yard spiders as banana, orchard, and Florida crab. They build their webs normally where I don't walk as a general rule.
The bananas I pass close by to know I'm not going to hurt them. They used to scamper off if I touched their webs. Now it doesn't faze them. Some times they'll even come to my fingers and let me lift up one of their front legs.
This year one banana built it's orb right outside the gate I go to the Honda through. Every night he would bring his web down to about five feet and I would have to demolish the bottom to get through. This banana is one that lets me lift his leg and stroke his back without fleeing. I kept telling him to build his web higher and I put a beetle in his web yesterday that he promptly cocooned.
This morning the web was almost six feet up! I only had to slightly stoop to get under it without damage.
I wish to God I knew when I was a kid what I know now. Some things need killing, but a helluva lot of things don't, more not than do.
Everything is here for a reason although poison snakes and gators will live if they're somewhere besides here. I don't give a damn if this sounds hoaky, some of you will know what I'm talking about.
One year I befriended a female praying mantis. Every afternoon she would be waiting for me on the same limb of the same fir tree. It saddened me after a cold snap that I never saw her again. She would walk up my arm and across my shoulders and down the other arm back to the branch.
Sometimes life just awes the Hell out of me and I don't care who knows. Life is good. [:I]
Comments
They don't see the hundreds of critters that have adopted my "landscaping", or the 45 or so LBQTSR lizards cruising stealthily for the other wildlife.
There is a Large Robin that has taken over the branch in my fruiting Mulberry that the Rufous Hummer built a nest on. Haven't seen the Rufous for 2 years.
The dead tree collects these tiny yellow birds (about 2 1/2" without tail) that someone said were like wrens, but from South America.
The Grackles used to mob & harass them, but the yellows are VERY territorial, and have sharp little beaks.
It's cool every Spring, to watch the birds wrassle the spiders for nest material; sometimes the birds flit away with passengers on their stolen spiderwebs!
Wouldn't want to live without critters.
And folks give me grief over all the seemingly random hunks of wood and metal strewn strategically about my property.
They don't see the hundreds of critters that have adopted my "landscaping", or the 45 or so LBQTSR lizards cruising stealthily for the other wildlife.
There is a Large Robin that has taken over the branch in my fruiting Mulberry that the Rufous Hummer built a nest on. Haven't seen the Rufous for 2 years.
The dead tree collects these tiny yellow birds (about 2 1/2" without tail) that someone said were like wrens, but from South America.
The Grackles used to mob & harass them, but the yellows are VERY territorial, and have sharp little beaks.
It's cool every Spring, to watch the birds wrassle the spiders for nest material; sometimes the birds flit away with passengers on their stolen spiderwebs!
Wouldn't want to live without critters.
I knew someone would be at the proper frequency to relate. I've seen directions to build a bug and lizard habitat out of stacked up wooden pallets and straw. It's too late to get it up and occupied before winter, but I'll build it in the spring.
Sounds like you have a grand ole opera going on every afternoon.
They also wonder why I have so many bunnies in my yard.
I like bunnies. [^]
quote:Originally posted by gunnut505
And folks give me grief over all the seemingly random hunks of wood and metal strewn strategically about my property.
They don't see the hundreds of critters that have adopted my "landscaping", or the 45 or so LBQTSR lizards cruising stealthily for the other wildlife.
There is a Large Robin that has taken over the branch in my fruiting Mulberry that the Rufous Hummer built a nest on. Haven't seen the Rufous for 2 years.
The dead tree collects these tiny yellow birds (about 2 1/2" without tail) that someone said were like wrens, but from South America.
The Grackles used to mob & harass them, but the yellows are VERY territorial, and have sharp little beaks.
It's cool every Spring, to watch the birds wrassle the spiders for nest material; sometimes the birds flit away with passengers on their stolen spiderwebs!
Wouldn't want to live without critters.
I knew someone would be at the proper frequency to relate. I've seen directions to build a bug and lizard habitat out of stacked up wooden pallets and straw. It's too late to get it up and occupied before winter, but I'll build it in the spring.
Sounds like you have a grand ole opera going on every afternoon.
Mo betta da kine!!
Now I have time to become reacquainted with the myriad fauna that's prevalent in my Domain; I'm up at the first hacking cough from the neighbor's rooster around 4:30ish, and down for the night right after the bats swarm the street light on the corner.
Over the last 35 years, I've snagged small "souvenir" cacti, grasses, bushes and rocks from my travels around the state; they add to the "organic" and "natural" habitat, and represent a miniature sand table of the state...in my yard.
Couldn't get away with the bed full of gypsum from White Sands Missile Range, but there's a replica of Victorio Peak (where Doc Noss was alleged to have discovered Geronimo's gold cache) right where scale says it oughta be. The lizards love it.