Bugs and blooms

Finally, it took years, but I have two rhododendron plants, and one is flowering. I wrapped them all winter, and the deer have avoided them. So far. 

I made it up there, with the ladder, JB handing me the drill. The piece had slid down, and while I put in the first screw, attempted the second, and third, the wasp came back looking for its nest. The 2nd screw split the wood. The third was too long and didn't go in. I gave up! Either way, the wasp is thwarted. I was not stung, so I won.

This is the before and after.

It's called Lychnis flos-cuculi, "Petite Jenny!" I love it! 

Honeysuckles and serviceberries are in blossom!

I've two lady slippers in full colour, 9 plants total on 16 acres! I ended up putting on bug spray to go down there. That helped! 

OK, the gypsy moth caterpillars are slowing down on the deck. I reused the container, and put in dish soap. The irony is, they are falling down on the deck from the roof, and crawling all over the bottle. I wiped down the railings every couple of hours. They have finally slowed down. Now, we await the second stage and third of the larvae, the caterpillar stage. Each growth stage is called an instar. They molt and grow 5 or 6 times until they are mature larvae, 50 mm long (Gypsy Moth, Ontario Government).

Down in the meadow, I looked up and the tree was covered in gypsy moth caterpillars. The irony is that this is an elm tree, and it will suffer from Dutch Elm Disease sooner rather than later. 

They are mostly on the back deck, but the propane tanks were covered in them, as well. I gave up, other than on the railings.  

Phoebe is still on the nest. (Any minute now they'll hatch!)

Robin only has 2 eggs. Maybe she took a break yesterday. They usually lay 3 -  5 eggs. 

I'd moved the trailcam down to the meadow. I'm glad I did! First fawn of the season! fawn May 22 

You asked a good question, Karen! It could be the 3 raccoons from yesterday's post are from the litter of six we had. I cannot imagine that they would travel with unrelated raccoons, they are so hostile with one another!