milkweed house

[asakiyume]

... actually, milkweed garden

with honeybees buzzing around, though you don't see them in these pictures.

I definitely, definitely want to start raising honeybees.

Comments

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

When I was a little girl, at the insect stage, I spent hours wandering milkweed fields, paying attention to the wealth of lepidoptera, coleoptera, hemiptera, and hymenoptera there....

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I saw a beautiful lepidopteran specimen this morning, a gorgeous swallowtail.

what are these other optera--I must find out!

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Beetles, sucking insects, bees and wasps (who are honey-winged).

What sort of swallowtail?

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Yellow with black stripes, and some blue and red spots by the tail !

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Aha. Tiger swallowtail. We have those out here, happily. I miss lots of others, though, and zebra swallowtails in particular.

[coldhighmountai.livejournal.com]

Zebra Swallowtails were rare in northeast Ohio where I grew up but plentiful in southern Ohio. My friend and I would literally spend all day seeking the elusive Zebra. There is a long tail version and short tail.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm looking at the long- and short-tailed versions in pictures--the long tails are amazing.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a zebra swallowtail...

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

I see that you've been looking at photographs, so I won't post a link. :) Their caterpillars eat pawpaw.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I would like to eat pawpaw too. (I never have; I thought of buying a tree once, though.)

[yamamanama.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any swallowtails for some reason. I did see a red admiral.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I've seen a couple of those, too.

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

http://bugguide.net/node/view/164719

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Black swallowtails I see a fair amount, too.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

That buckeye sure looks cool! I'd like to see one of those!

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

The people I am staying with have honeybees, three hives in the backyard. It's fascinating to watch the gals zip in & out!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

How long have they had them, do you know? I'm only just at the stage of thinking, I want to look into this seriously and see how much it would cost...

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

A few years, I believe. I know they haven't made it through the winter a couple of times. It's probably not cheap. They make mead, so it's worth it for them.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I could easily be filled with envy seeing your lovely milkweed; instead I shall rejoice in your bounty and hope your plants thrive until the day you can send me seeds to plant in my very own garden. :D

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

What an excellent idea! I will send you seeds!

(wait: but not to Egypt... when do you leave for Egypt? Do you know yet?)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the seed sending should wait until we return...in 4.5 years. :P

We will leave around the 24 October. :) Still waiting on the official telegram with the exact dates.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

OH M, I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU! Just thinking about it makes my heart race.