Monthly Archives: December 2012

Clean Beans and Aphids

Posted on December 31, 2012 by the roused bear

Clean beans created the conditions that caused outbreaks of soybean aphids in the same way that pouring an accelerant (for example, gasoline) around the outside of a building would cause the conditions for a fire. The soybean aphid is Aphis … Continue reading →

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Clean Beans

Posted on December 30, 2012 by the roused bear

In the late 1990s clean beans came to Iowa. The beans had a resistance to a broad spectrum herbicide. Farmers have used herbicides against the weeds for over half a century, but never with the complete success that the herbicide … Continue reading →

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Best of the Year

Posted on December 27, 2012 by the roused bear

In response to a blog post encouraging people to post their best photos of the year on The Compound Eye blog, here are the photos I consider my best of the year. Sometimes it is not just about nature–it is … Continue reading →

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Deer from the Window

Posted on December 26, 2012 by the roused bear

We had a deer right outside our window tonight.  It was too dark to take a good picture, so this badly underexposed photo was digitally lightened. I think it was looking for the pods of the black locust trees we … Continue reading →

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Too Much Eggnog

Posted on December 25, 2012 by the roused bear

Myiomyrmica fenestrata had a little too much eggnog and dressed up for the holidays. Shameful behavior! Enjoy the holiday.

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What I did on my Winter Vacation

Posted on December 24, 2012 by the roused bear

I have been kind of busy lately and have not posted as often as I did in the summer.  Partially it has been because I have been re-doing my other website. You can find it at  http://www.poweshiekskipper.org It is a … Continue reading →

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In a Drop of Water

Posted on December 22, 2012 by the roused bear

Our landscape is covered with snow.  This is a drastic change from the conditions of just a few days ago when the grass was green and we could go outside without our coats. Snow melts on the roof and drips … Continue reading →

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Back On Line

Posted on December 21, 2012 by the roused bear

We had a huge winter storm come through on Wednesday and we were without electricity until today–probably about 36 hours altogether. I have been busy on other things as well, and have not been posting here too regularly.  I will have … Continue reading →

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Clean Beans and the Poweshiek Skipper

Posted on December 11, 2012 by the roused bear

The Poweshiek skipper disappeared from Iowa sometime around 2000-2005.  Coincidental with that disappearance were two unusual events.  One was massive outbreaks of soybean aphids, and the other was an irruption of massive quantities of a non-native lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis. … Continue reading →

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That’s Just Wrong

Posted on December 3, 2012 by the roused bear

I am on a listserve that discusses insects in Iowa.  Recently someone brought up a topic about cornfields.  A blog on the National Public Radio webpage mentioned a photographer who went around the world photographing all of the living things he … Continue reading →

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