Monthly Archives: February 2014

The House Grasshopper

Posted on February 24, 2014 by the roused bear

In the winter I sometimes take pictures of insects that have found themselves inside.  Usually they are in the windows.  Diversity is low–box elder bugs, Asian lady beetles, an occasional fly.  Usually they are not grasshoppers, but I found one … Continue reading →

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Small Winter

Posted on February 23, 2014 by the roused bear

We have had a winter that is too long for my tastes.  I want to find some bugs to take pictures of.  Or some flowers. But I found a log with lichens and some interesting patterns of melting ice instead. … Continue reading →

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More on Monarchs

Posted on February 18, 2014 by the roused bear

Since around 30 percent of the monarch habitat has been destroyed by development, conversion to row crops, and herbicide resistant crop systems, other things that may have been minor threats to the monarchs become more important. Milkweeds that grow along … Continue reading →

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Are Seed Coatings Killing Bees?

Posted on February 11, 2014 by the roused bear

I subscribe to a number of lists about topics I am interested in, and recently saw some stuff about a class of chemicals that have recently been banned in the EU, and is still in use here in the United … Continue reading →

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More Butterflies and Storm Water Management

Posted on February 2, 2014 by the roused bear

I am trying to get a project started which would manage existing storm water detention basins as butterfly habitat.  It is still in the planning stages–I don’t have an organization yet, but here is how I think it would work. … Continue reading →

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Think about Monarch Butterflies when you watch the Super Bowl this weekend.

Posted on February 1, 2014 by the roused bear

Dr. Chip Taylor at Monarch Watch has been tracking monarch butterfly populations for about the last 20 years.  Every year, monarchs from the part of North America that is east of the Rocky Mountains overwinter in a concentrated mass in … Continue reading →

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