Insects in Your Garden - Garden Experiments

How to Tell a Butterfly from a Moth

Garden Experiments — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 13:31:00 +0000

Butterflies and moths belong to the same scientific order Lepidoptera, which means “scale-winged” in Greek. Their wings are covered in thousands of tiny scales that overlap, creating colors and patterns. While they share some similarities, such as their winged appearance and life cycle, they also have many differences. Here’s a breakdown of their similarities and […]

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30 Plants to Feed & Host Butterflies in Your Garden

Garden Experiments — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 13:37:00 +0000

If you like to watch butterflies, including butterfly plants in your garden that host the larvae (caterpillars) and also those plants that provide nectar for butterflies is essential. Including these types of butterfly food plants will attract butterflies to your garden and even lay eggs. You’ll be able to spot cocoons and watch the entire life cycle. Be aware […]

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5 Great Plants for A Butterfly Garden in the Southeast

Garden Experiments — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 19:38:00 +0000

Monarchs make a nearly 3,000-mile journey each year from Mexico to the northern U.S. and Canada. Along their travels, they rely on native milkweeds for food and host plants for their caterpillars. Growing plants in your butterfly garden than provide food and are also a host plant will attract lots of butterflies, including monarchs. And […]

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What are the Green Caterpillars on Your Tomato Plants? | The Tomato Hornworm & Tobacco Hornworm

Garden Experiments — Thu, 13 May 2021 14:50:56 +0000

Have you discovered that something is eating the leaves of your tomato plants and damaging your green tomatoes? You probably have a tomato hornworm or a tobacco hornworm. If you look around, you will probably find a giant green caterpillar on your tomato plants. What Does a Tomato Hornworm or Tobacco Hornworm Look Like? These […]

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Eastern Redbuds Provide Early Spring Food for Bees

Garden Experiments — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 19:42:47 +0000

The pink-hued blooms of native eastern redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) are one of the first signs of color that I see in March. It’s a sure sign that spring is on its way and that more color will begin to pop up in the lawns and gardens in our neighborhood. After months of cold weather […]

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Celebrating Pollinators – Bees, Butterflies, Birds and More

Garden Experiments — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 19:32:23 +0000

National Pollinator Week occurs in mid- to late-June each year. The goal of this Week is to celebrate the beneficial insects, birds, and mammals that pollinate the flowers of plants that produce much of our food, maintain our ecosystems, stabilize soils, and provide wildlife habitat. It also serves to educate people about what they can […]

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You Won’t Believe Your Eyes When You See This Giant Caterpillar

Garden Experiments — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 19:35:42 +0000

This is the frangipani hornworm moth also known as the giant gray sphinx moth (Pseudosphinx tetrio). It is the biggest caterpillar I have ever seen. We were walking along the streets of old San Juan in Puerto Rico when we came across a small park. I noticed the Plumeria were looking rather ragged, so I […]

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The Puerto Rican Semi-Slug

Garden Experiments — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 14:58:47 +0000

On our vacation to Puerto Rico this past February, we had the pleasure of hiking up to the cloud forest in the El Yunque National Forest. We came across this cute little guy about halfway through our climb. I love seeing new critters and looking them up when I get home. Especially when they are […]

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Early Spring Flowers for Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies

Garden Experiments — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 16:17:09 +0000

This early spring sky is filled with butterflies! I am seeing so many eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies (Papilio glaucus) feeding on colorful spring flowers that it has really brightened my days. Eastern tiger swallowtails are quite large – with a wingspan of 3 to 5.5 inches and with their bright yellow wings with blue spots, […]

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Are Monarchs the only Butterflies That Migrate (in North America)?

Garden Experiments — Sat, 21 Oct 2017 22:02:53 +0000

The orange and black colors of a monarch butterfly are so well-known and we keep an eye out for them each year. It is common knowledge that these butterflies migrate from their nesting grounds in Mexico into the northern United States and back each year. But did you know there are other butterflies the migrate? […]

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