dirtdorphins said:Hi Jennifer!
Nice to meet you--so glad you got the bees saved!
Lovely to see your garden critters

Pleased to make your acquaintance, I'm sure!

A further note: It gets more and more difficult to photograph insects in the garden, it is not just bee populations that are down, it seems to be the diversity of insect life. Many kinds of beetles also help pollination and control other over populace insects, like aphids and some mites. Bees get all press but I notice a difference in all the insect populations because I have always looked to photograph them. The only research I could find was being done in England where they have generally noticed what I suspected. I did a search last year when I was finding it difficult to locate insects. AND "RAID' would have us pump poisen into the ground to kill ants in the ground of our properties!

Mosquitoes, roaches and ants all seem to be doing just fine!

Pickin' up the pollen, puttin' it in the basket, way down yonder in the Salvia patch! (I change the lyrics to suit the situation. I was also pickin' the caterpillars today and puttin' 'em in my container.)

Jennifer got a Red Admiral and a Comma in the same photo! Jealous! Come visit the butterfly thread sometime. We're really nice!

jmorth said:Aphids certainly are disgusting little creatures, but I guess they've a niche in nature for some reason. They usually are prolific on fall goldenrods around here.

Lady Bugs will eat aphids if you import some, aphids are their favorite meal. Ants love and protect their "herds" of aphids.

mellielong said:Jennifer got a Red Admiral and a Comma in the same photo! Jealous! Come visit the butterfly thread sometime. We're really nice!

Post me a link to the best "Butterfly Thread" and I'll be right there!

We do a monthly thread. Here is September's. We started it on the 1st but we already have several pages. You can skip ahead; you don't have to read the whole thing to see what we're up to. The thread "September 2015 Butterflies, Moths & Larva" in Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum

jenniferatemple said:My neighbors wanted to kill them. I chased them away and called the conservation authorities who came and took them to a bee keeper.

BRAVO!!

And welcome, Jennifer!

I want to tell you all a funny story about that swarm. My husband was away from the house when they arrived. He has known me to have some "really bright" ideas over time. When he arrived at the house that day he saw the conservation authority's bee hutches front and center on the front lawn, walked into the house and yelled "What on earth are you thinking?!!" I was stunned. I had no idea what he was annoyed about. When he mentioned the bee hutches I . Then I told him they were just waiting for dusk when all the bees would have returned "home" to the queen that was in one of those boxes and would then take all the bees away. He thought I'd decided to take up bee keeping!

Wellllllllll, beekeeping is a mighty rewarding hobby.

That's pretty funny!

Grasshoper in the morning glory


I always forget what these are

Ronnie, the second picture is a Robberfly... don't recall which one.

Great pics Ronnie!

Ronnie, your "Grasshoper in the morning glory" is really different from mine!

Great grasshoppers Jennifer!
(I know them all too well )

Ronnie, yours might be a little katydid?

Spider

Cool green spidey!

Thanks Christine on the Robberfly ID
Yes Dirt you are right, after doing a search I think it is a type of katydid
I like your grasshopper Jennifer, great shots!
J I love pics of spiders

Bumble bees and bee-like B's