Ladybug Farm - Let this be a cautionary tale...

I have visions of living on a farm.  There would be rolling hills and land enough for chickens, Nigerian dwarf goats, gardens, ponds, greenhouses and people.  Oh, no wait.  That's The Sound of Music playing in my head.  I have read this blog and I know that living on a farm isn't a picnic in the hills in handmade dresses with your favorite nanny.  Still, that doesn't mean I am not raising my own stock right here in the heart of Funwoody.  That's right.  I happen to be the proud owner of a thriving ladybug farm nesting in my parsley.  I didn't plan on this.  I didn't buy any bugs with the hope of starting a ladybug farm.  It just happened.  And, it is so exciting! 


I watched one little lady take off today.  She was just turning red, bigger sister to her little sisters who are still pale.  She didn't like my camera in her nest and decided to do something about it.  It was unexpected and awesome.  I didn't think any of them would be flying yet being so small. I have been watching them for a few days and even handled a few to get a better look and none have flown. But, she did.  I love being present for the little things.  It ranks right up there with the day the kids and I saw a bee being born out of its cell at a hive inspection.  I like to think bearing witness to a ladybug earning her wings is a sign and a gift- its meaning too deep, complex and personal to be able to explain.  It comes on a day of remembrance.

Scratch that.  All of it.  You heard me.  (Well, all except the very beginning.  All that is accurate.)  After mulling it over, I realized something wasn't right here.  It dawned on me that these bugs were reminding me of something else I had seen.  Something I learned about during my Master Gardener classes.  The dreaded CARPET BEETLE.  I came back to the computer to research it and, well, I have bad news to report.  I no longer have an adorable ladybug nursery.  Nope.  I have a dreaded carpet beetle infestation.  Joy.  So, my parsley will get a dunk in a dish washing soap infused pool.  Let this be a lesson, research and be sure.  You never know, you may be saving your favorite wool sweater, or sofa, or carpet in the process.  I am just glad I found these things outside and not inside...

It's a bug eat bug world out there!

Last year, I really started to see an increase in bug activity in my garden.  I think they finally found it.  Now, this is good and bad.  But, if the system works, it's good.  So, my goal is always to keep the cycle going on its own so that the good guys take care of the bad guys.

Last year, there were lady bugs and praying mantises, but the real highlight was this beauty:

This is a Garden Spider.  It will eat just about anything it can catch.  Isn't it just gorgeous?  Oh, it was a welcomed sight!  I wouldn't let anyone go near it for fear it would get harmed.  At one point, its web was damaged and it seemed to disappear for a few days, but then it was back in the exact same spot.

So, today, I was fumbling around in the garden enjoying the sight of my honey bees working some flowers when I saw an orb web and, in the middle, I found this:

Look at that perfect web!  It sensed my presence - I can't imagine why as I was only lying on my back underneath it to get this photo! - and it moved to the nearby echinacea plant.  Then, I snapped this photo:

 

It's a little hard to tell because it's tiny, tiny, tiny, but I wonder if it could be a baby Garden Spider.  I hope so!  It definitely has some interesting markings.  This spider was right in the thick of the garden.  His web was attached to the hardy geranium that sits right in front of my strawberries and the echinacea that is next to my corn/bean/potato bed.  From a predator's perspective, ideally located. 

I also spotted this recently:

 

Another tiny predator, the praying mantis.  This guy was maybe an inch if I am being generous.  The tomato plant it is on is a volunteer that can't be a foot tall if that gives you an idea.  But, there he waits for someone to be his dinner.  I love it.

Right next to the spider, I found this:

This is a ladybug hard at work.  She is actually working on a leaf of the same echinacea plant that the spider attached his web to.  It's a little out of focus because she was moving so fast up and down the leaf looking for a snack.  I have seen these in multiple places this year so far.  I hope that is a good sign!