PEI researcher seeks more data on lost Ladybugs

Concerned citizens asked to photograph species

A Masters student at the University of Prince Edward Island has joined a continent-wide project to find native ladybugs, and is asking Islanders to join in the search.

Native ladybugs, or lady beetles as they are properly known, have become increasingly difficult to find in populated areas, as they have been pushed out by imported species. Non-native species are reproducing faster than domestic varieties.

This could mean trouble for urban gardeners trying to deal with aphids.

"Particularly our natives will produce more viable eggs when they're eating the aphid diet," said UPEI Masters student Meagan Marriott.

"The problem with some of our non-natives is that the ones that have established as what they're calling generalists and they can produce viable offspring on a wide range of foods."

Just how serious the problem is is not known. Just because native lady beetles are becoming less common in urban areas doesn't mean their population is dwindling. It is possible they are retreating to wilderness areas.



The Lost Ladybug Project was launched to search for an answer to this question. There are not enough entomologists to cover all the geography scientists are interested in, so they are recruiting citizen scientists to help.

"If we can find out where they are we can try to preserve them," said project co-director of outreach Rebecca Rice Smyth.

"The fact is [non-natives] are dominating habitats now. The more dominant those species are, the less diverse the ladybug composition in the habitat becomes. "
The Lost Ladybug Project web site contains information to help people identify different kinds of the beetles, and a tool for uploading pictures they take of them. Those pictures will help researchers determine where the different species of beetles are, and aren't.

While the number of native lady beetles appears to be declining, no species has yet become extinct. Some have been extirpated in parts of Canada.

The Great Ladybug mystery; Lost Ladybug Project info


Source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/look-ladybugs-researchers-ask-114304450.html

RARE Black Deer Fawn photos with twin, mom

Melanistic deer are rarer even that albino deer!

Here's hoping you have enjoyed these inspiring photos! Okay, one more...

Transparent butterfly is Central American habitat's canary in coal mine

The Transparent Butterfly originates in Central America and it's habitat is found from Mexico to Panama. It is quite common in its zone, however is not easy to find because of its transparent wings, which are a natural camouflage mechanism.




A butterfly with transparent wings is rare and beautiful. As delicate as finely blown glass, the presence of this rare tropical gem is used by rain forest ecologists as an indication of high habitat quality and its demise alerts them of ecological change. Rivaling the refined beauty of a stained glass window, the translucent wings of the Glass wing butterfly shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of turquoise, orange, green, and red. All things beautiful do not have to be full of color to be noticed: in life that which is unnoticed has the most power.

Can mankind breed stronger bees? Declining populations spur research

Scientists Breeding Honey Bees Resistant to Mites and Disease

by Lori Zimmer, Inhabitat.com

Over the last five years the world’s honey bee population has been steadily dwindling, with many beekeepers citing 2010 as the worst year yet. In order to save these extremely important insects, scientists are working on breeding a new super honey bee that they hope will be resistant to cold, disease, mites and pesticides. If all goes well, the new and improved insect will continue to pollinate our crops for years to come.

Pesky mites, which have become immune to insecticides, have been terrorizing bees significantly for the last few years. According to the U.N., mites, along with viruses, have been responsible for killing 10-30% of Europe’s bees, one third of America’s bees and a whopping 85% of Middle Eastern bees! The external parasites are small and flat, and attach themselves to adult honey bees’ bodies, suck their bee blood and slowly kill them. What’s worse is that the mites also attack the bee brood. By planning the perfect attack, they enter the brood just before the larvae are sealed in together to develop. They feed on the developing bees, causing many of them to grow into weakened adults, often missing legs or wings. The mites spread further when bees from larger colonies “rob” smaller colonies.

Rather than fighting off mites, which seems to be an impossible process, scientists have focused on breeding stronger bees. Some bee populations in Canada have shown resistance to the mites, so they have been isolated, studied, and bred by the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Being raised so far north, they are also resilient to the harsh winters of Winnipeg, a quality that European bees lack, as many do not even survive winter.

Although not a solution to the bee crisis, these Canadian bees are strong stock, and could be the “prototype” for a stronger bee population. Since bees pollinate 90% of the world’s food crops, multiple steps must be taken to preserve them, and strengthening from within seems the first logical step.

Video of Valentina the Whale being freed, showing thanks (or joy!)

This is an inspiring video, for whether the whale is expressing gratitude or is just elated at being free and alive, it is a must see:

New meaning to a "talk about birds and bees"

Bee pollinating a peach tree flower


The Toronto Star's gardening columnist Mark Cullen recently published an article about the importance of bees to humanity's food supply, and i found it so inspiring I have decided to share it with our readers.

Time to talk about the birds and the bees

April 01, 2011

by Mark Cullen, Special to the Star

Father to pre pubescent son: “It is time for you and me to talk about the birds and the bees.”

Son: “Sure Dad. What do you want to know?”

I am impressed by many of the things that kids learn about in school today that were never talked about in my day. Subjects like multiculturalism, character, fairness, recycling, worm composting and bullying are just a few. But ask a kid today about the importance of fostering honey bees in the neighbourhood and chances are he will give you a blank stare. In fact, most adults do not seem to understand that the future of civilization as we know it depends on a thriving culture of honey bees.

Albert Einstein said, “Mankind will not survive the honeybees’ disappearance for more than five years.”

What, you might ask, did Einstein know that the rest of us don’t? I wondered the same thing and did some digging for answers. What I came up with is surprising, alarming and hopeful all at the same time.

Bees are nature’s primary pollinators. Given that many of the plants that produce our food are pollinated by bees, we would be doing ourselves a service to pay attention to survival. Reports over the last six years indicate that their population is in steep decline throughout much of the world, including where you live. Nurturing and protecting them seems like a good idea.

Perfect and Imperfect Flowers

It is true that many plants have “perfect” flowers, complete with both male and female parts. This might lead you to think that a pollinator with wings is hardly necessary. Your tomato plants, for example, do not require pollination from bees or hummingbirds or butterflies. But any experienced gardener will tell you that the greater the population of bees in a neighbourhood, the more productive the tomatoes, peppers and potatoes (all members of the same solanaceae family). The pollinating activity of bees is beneficial even when it is not entirely necessary.

“Imperfect” flowers exist on a host of food plants, including all members of the cucurbit or squash family. They have female and male flowers, usually on the same plants though not always, which require a visit from one of nature’s flying pollinators in order to mix things up. It is the transfer of pollen from flower to flower (anther to stamen, to be exact) that fertilizes your pumpkin or cucumber and nothing does it quite as efficiently as bees. About one-third of everything that we eat has been pollinated by a bee, according to Cathy Kozma, past chair of the Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative.

Bees dig in to a nice squash flower looking for food and come out covered in pollen grains. I have heard that they buzz a lot when they are in the middle of the flower in an effort to dig as deeply as possible for what they are really looking for. Buzzing is nature’s way of removing the pollen and maximizing the exposure of it to the body and pollen pockets of the bee, so the theory goes. Like power sanding a wood-working project: buzzing makes bees one of nature’s most efficient pollinators.

Bees in Decline

The population of bees is in decline, this is a fact. In Southern Ontario we have experienced about a 30 to 40 per cent decline in bee population since 2005. In other parts of the continent, the decline is much greater, especially in arid areas.

According to Kozma, it is because of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). While there is no one cause for it, CCD is blamed on:

• The Varroa Destructor mite.

• The loss of natural habitat.

• Monoculture agricultural practices.

• Widespread pesticide use.

What can the average hobby gardener do to help?

Considering that the average bee performs her work (and they are all female) between a six and 10 kilometre radius of their home, there is lots that you can do. First of all I recommend that you plant plants that are attractive and useful to bees. My list includes:

• Bachelors Buttons an easy to grow annual.

• Borage, a useful herb and soil enhancer.

• Russian sage, a metre-high reliable perennial that flowers for up to eight weeks.

• Bee Balm or monarda, which is one of my favourite perennials for the sun. Grows up to one metre.

• Sunflowers. The kids will love these, too.

• Sage, a useful herb and rather fragrant.

• Oregano. Plant one and enjoy a lot. An aggressive perennial groundcover in sun.

• Basil. You want this for your tomatoes come September anyway.

In addition, Kozma recommends that we:

• Plant larger patches of flowering plants to encourage bee foraging.

• Diversify your blooming plant portfolio. Have bee-friendly plants in bloom throughout the season.

• Avoid the use of pesticides.

• Let some of your garden naturalize. This will encourage bees to nest and tunnel without being disturbed. Note: bumble bees nest in the ground; some native bees build their nests in dead raspberry canes.

• Provide a constant source of water. A hive will consume about half a litre of water a day. Put out small containers of clean water and float a small piece of wood in it to provide a landing strip and access to the water.

Want to Learn More?

Whether you want to foster bees in your neighbourhood, help out the Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative or have a hive in your own yard (for which you will need about half acre), here are some suggestions of where you can learn more:

• Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative: An active group since 2001, the TBC’s mission is to “create an opportunity for Torontonians interested in working with bees to learn about hive ecology and maintenance, honey and products of the hive, and gain hands-on beekeeping experience in a supportive environment.” More information at www.torontobees.ca.

• They have placed bee hives at Downsview Park, Evergreen Brickworks, Fairmont Royal York rooftop and most recently at the Toronto Botanical Garden.

• They are active presenters at the Evergreen Brickworks Farmers Market, Downsview’s Farming in the City and the Royal Winter Fair.

• A series of seminars are being offered at the Toronto Botanical Garden aimed at novice beekeepers. For details go to www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca.

• Read: Keeping the Bees, by Laurence Packer (2010); Sweetness and Light, by Hattie Ellis; Fruitless Fall, by Rowan Jacobsen.

“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to get up close and personal with honeybees,” says Kozma, “to teach others about their incredible world, and I see this as an easy way to make a significant contribution to making my world a better place.”

Touché. Next time I am called upon to talk to a youngster about the birds and the bees I think I will call Cathy Kozma.

I urge you to support your local beekeepers by buying their bee products. I can assure you that this is a labour of love, not a profitable venture. Sources are available at their website, TorontoBees.ca .

Man Gave Names to All the Animals by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan Lyrics: Man Gave Names to All the Animals


Man Gave Names To All The Animals

Music and Lyrics by Bob Dylan

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal that liked to growl
Big furry paws and he liked to howl
Great big furry back and furry hair
“Ah, think I’ll call it a bear”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal up on a hill
Chewing up so much grass until she was filled
He saw milk comin’ out but he didn’t know how
“Ah, think I’ll call it a cow”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal that liked to snort
Horns on his head and they weren’t too short
It looked like there wasn’t nothin’ that he couldn’t pull
“Ah, think I’ll call it a bull”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal leavin’ a muddy trail
Real dirty face and a curly tail
He wasn’t too small and he wasn’t too big
“Ah, think I’ll call it a pig”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

Next animal that he did meet
Had wool on his back and hooves on his feet
Eating grass on a mountainside so steep
“Ah, think I’ll call it a sheep”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal as smooth as glass
Slithering his way through the grass
Saw him disappear by a tree near a lake . . .