Mallard Ducks Just looking to share the beauty of these amazing animals… OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
What is this HUGE insect in my yard? – From Southwest Yard & Garden Blog Cicada Killer Wasps Are Cooler Than They Are Scary To read more, visit: https://nmsudesertblooms.blogspot.com/2020/08/cicadakillerwasp.htmlhttps://nmsudesertblooms.blogspot.com/2020/08/cicadakillerwasp.html and https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H175/welcome.html
Landscaping for Pollinator Diversity – From Southwest Yard & Garden Blog Are all bees beneficial? “For the most part, yes. Wild bees and honey bees need pollen and nectar to survive and establish their nests. Some bees can become pests when they build nests in areas where humans (or animals) live and play, but even those bees offer benefits as pollinators. Many bees look for open cavities or cracks in trees and walls where they can build their nests. To prevent bees from being pests in structures, patch holes or use screening. “ To read more, visit: https://nmsudesertblooms.blogspot.com/2021/03/landscaping-for-pollinator-diversity.html
Community Forests Prepare for Climate Change – From the EOS Blog Community Forests Prepare for Climate Change “Trees benefit residents in communities around the world by mitigating pollution and other environmental impacts of contemporary society and by broadly improving livability in cities and towns. However, many locales are feeling the heat as urban, or community, forests—defined by the U.S. Forest Service as “the aggregate of all public and private vegetation and green space within a community that provide a myriad of environmental, health and economic benefits”—struggle against a multitude of stressors stemming from climate change.” To read more, visit https://eos.org/features/community-forests-prepare-for-climate-change To learn more about New Mexico efforts, visit https://treenm.org/ and The Nature Conservancy
2021 in New Mexico Butterflies – From the PEEC Blog “Time moves on, and the 2021 butterfly season has come to an end. As I pull together New Mexico data for the LepSoc’s Season Summary, it seems worthwhile to highlight and expand on some of the wild and wacky aspects of the recent year in New Mexico butterflies, and to ask: How do we mark our individual or collective progress toward greater understanding of our various butterflies?” To read more, visit: 2021 in New Mexico Butterflies – Pajarito Environmental Education Center (peecnature.org)
The Desert Is Greening Up Winter rains have given wildflowers a good start, let’s hope future rains will give us a banner wildflower season! January 30, 2022 Combseeds are already flowering Fiddleneck and Coulter’s Lupine Ocotillo Brittlebush California Poppy Buckhorn Cholla
What should I plant for the most pollinators? As much as possible! Okay, that’s not much of an answer. First, which kinds of pollinators do you want to attract? Hummingbirds – red tubular Penstemon and Acanthus flowers work great. Bees – sunflowers are your best bet. Butterflies and moths aren’t so picky, but you’ll want to provide host plants, like milkweed for Monarchs. Left: Male longhorn bees (genus Melissodes) shelter overnight on sunflowers (Helianthus) Right: Spiny goldenweed (Xanthisma spinulosum) volunteers in author’s yard Where can I buy these plants? Check out our new page here: pollinatorweb.com/host-plants/native-plant-nurseries/ Also, don’t kill all the “weeds” in your yard. Many native plants are dispersed by wind and birds and will grow on their own if given a chance.
New Insect Page on PollinatorWeb.com! Ants, Bees, and Wasps I am happy to introduce some fantastic flying critters, from popular to obscure. In my suburban Albuquerque yard, I have recorded over 120 species from tiny fairy bees (Perdita) to noisy, showy cicada killers. I hope you will go find some in your neighborhood. Take time to appreciate them and upload the pictures to iNaturalist.org, which is a fantastic community. Left: Two-spotted Scoliid wasps on Arugula Leaf cutter bee on Common sunflower
Turn Off Those Landscape Lights at Night! About half of the insect population is nocturnal, so your outdoor lights may be contributing the the plummeting insect population numbers. We are all aware of how pesticides and industrial pollution are destroying insect habitat, but artificial light at night is affecting nocturnal life cycles, and harming nocturnal insects. Read the full article here
