Ants on Peoni

This is a great pic too of some Camponotus ants on a Peoni bud.

Wasp nest in AC

This is one of my favorites, the composition and sharpness are great. This is a Polistes dominulus a European paer wasp that is relatively new and is displacing other native paper wasps like the ones I remember watching in my childhood.

Ants and Honey

This is one of my oldest insect photography pics taken in the flower bed at the back-side of the house. I put down a little honey and walked away for a little bit when I came back a patrol of Black Formica ants were slurping it up to bring back to their nest.

My old yard 9

This area is where my tree was planted(My parents had a tree planted for each of us kids). Mine something happened to it they cut it so there was a stump left but it quickly sprouted out many little branches you see here. along with a lilac tree, different plants, tiger lillies and a spearmint patch all growing around a good-size rock you can't make out in the photo. And also a row of Peoni bushes to the left that we're always visited by black formica ants in early spring.

My old yard 8

Taken from the front side of the house, more flower beds encouraging other critters to visit. When I was little their used to be a huge spot light by that window above the flowers and tons of insects would be attracted to the light and also the white coloring of the house. Huge luna moths, beetles, lacewings, katydids, walking sticks and much, much more.

My old yard 7

Taken from the back yard as you first come out their is a sliding glass door entrance. As you can see flowers and plants all abundant with life and going about their daily routines oblivious to us as we are of them...unless you care to look a little closer like I would always do!

My old yard 6

A picture taken from the flower beds looking out into part of the back yard.

My old yard 5

Looking out from that little nook on the backside of the house out into the backyard and the edge of the woods.

My old yard 4

One of my favorite areas on the backside of the house next to my bedroom window. That's a stone wall straight ahead covered in vegetation. To the left flower beds over run with weeds, and eggplant my father planted and milkweed. This is where I first learned of how different insects were attracted to different flowers and used them as a prime food source. Like the large caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly or milkweed bugs and beetles. There was always a large variety of insects in this are along with spiders, snakes and toads.

My old yard 3

A peach tree my dad planted years ago, he used an old tractor tire as it's base you really can't see here. But a nice sized colony of black formica ants make their home in there and enjoy rearing their herds of aphids for sweet dew and also the bug zapper right next door for it's abundance of insects that fall dead or half dead to the ground.

The old yard 2

At the center of this pic where the weeds now grow used to be a big ol' maple tree that I would climb all the time, now all that's left is a stump.

My old yard 1

These next couple of pics will show you the old yard from my child hood.

My Childhood Home

This is where I spent the first 25 years of my life, in a little southern New England town called Beacon Falls. The house my father built with a nice-sized yard filled with flower beds, trees, and plants all growing nice with the green thumbs of my parents. I was surrounded by woods on all sides, along with ponds, swamps and a creek. Insects were aplenty in my yard and I learned to appreciate nature at an early age. My Sister Kathy first showed me anthills and how to put sugar or other food items down to watch them collect it and bring back to their nest and I was hooked!!! My natural curiosity is as strong as ever as a grown up and have fun reading up on all insects, encountering and watching them outside and studying their habits and taking pictures of them and watching specials about them on TV. Hope you enjoy this blog and a closer look at the Savage Garden.