Wednesday, May 1, 2013

I don't know where to look


Things are happening in my garden and I don't know where to look! 

I have a large eucalyptus tree growing next to my fence. 

It overhangs my little courtyard and upstairs balcony and most of the time its beautiful. It provides shade, it smells fabulous and a large variety of critters and birds use it for feeding and resting etc.

It has been flowering prolifically for about a month, soft white, sweet smelling flowers which have drawn a swarm of green and yellow-tinged soldier beetles. 

They love the flowers, and that's fine, but they also love each other. They are mating, not one on one, but three and four, piggy-backing each other around, jumping on and off as though it was a train station and attaching themselves to the next carriage when they are done with one, and another crawls by. There are millions of them and they've been at it for weeks. It is amazing. 


They are a native beetle so I haven't been spraying them with chemicals, I've just been avoiding them but its hard when I go out to hang out my washing and there is the biggest orgy happening on my washing line. Do I brush them off or do I let them be and set up another line somewhere out of their way?

My dog goes outside to deposit product and comes back inside covered in the things. She's happy because she gets lots of stroking and patting while I gently pick them off and put them back where they belong...outside. Inside the house is my area, no insects allowed. Outside is theirs, them's the rules. 

3 comments:

  1. Wow, seems like insects get all the fun!

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  2. Hi AppleG. Nice to see you're up and blogging. The insects ... I suggest you wear dark glasses and try not to watch what they're doing. Hehe!
    Hugs Maa (Aunty Sue)

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