Thread: What's in your garden?

^ they do look good.

About 2 hours earlier today I saw a swarm of bees blow through our backyard and figured they wouldn't stop..... However





They did, in one of our shade trees by the house. The nice thing about these bees is they are not aggressive and you can put your hand right up next to the swarm and they pay you no attention. I like having a hive in our yard. They can pollinate our flowering trees.

Originally Posted by Stumpy

About 2 hours earlier today I saw a swarm of bees blow through our backyard and figured they wouldn't stop..... However





They did, in one of our shade trees by the house. The nice thing about these bees is they are not aggressive and you can put your hand right up next to the swarm and they pay you no attention. I like having a hive in our yard. They can pollinate our flowering trees.

Awesome picture and yes bees are so important to nature.

Originally Posted by Stumpy

I like having a hive in our yard. They can pollinate our flowering trees.

^ Agreed. Had a few build combs in some trees but they never seem to get large or stay too long, more is the pity as they are safe away from marauding Thais after the honey

Ahhhhh just ripe for the BBQ!

what size was she, i love looking at them, dangerous tho they are.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

what size was she, i love looking at them, dangerous tho they are.

This beauty was about 15cm by 3cm. Yeah they are very cool and we had quite a few hanging around. We also had plenty of Huntsman's but since we got cats and they were allowed in the garden, we don't see either anymore.

^ shame, i try to let them all have a place. I let an area go to elephant grass as this encourages the weaver birds collecting the grass which is great to watch when they are nesting but more importantly always encourages praying mantis, one of my favourites.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

praying mantis

Love me a mantis, awesome creatures.

Unfortunately this is our Bangkok mooban garden so its only 15m2, not much space for everyone to coexist. I think the fact more people have moved in around us now has made it a little less wild. Really looking forward to having a proper garden in the countryside.

Originally Posted by Bonecollector

Love me a mantis, awesome creatures.

Man same here and we have lots of them around our place.

This was a few days back.







This fella was hanging out on my big leaf plant waiting.........

Originally Posted by malmomike77

Had a few build combs in some trees but they never seem to get large or stay too long,

This seems to be their way:

A. florea migrate seasonally from one habitat to another. This might increase colony fitness, as the honeybees search for new territories, resources, or a reduction in parasites. Once a colony has outgrown its hive space, it will reproduce via swarming.

Apis florea - Wikipedia

Worth a read, if you are are interested in such things.

We have a flowering shrub that attracts these cool beetles. I've only ever seen them for sale as jewelry in the markets.

Our caretaker told my wife there were loads on that bush during the rainy season. So we're hoping they will be back again.

Originally Posted by naptownmike

We have a flowering shrub that attracts these cool beetles. I've only ever seen them for sale as jewelry in the markets.

Nice. One of the Jewel beetles, maybe Sternocera aequisignata punctatofaveata. I have never seen one in the wild.

I thought Mendip might apprecite some snaps to remind him of home. I'm sure his gardener has a fine display ready his return.

^Thanks there definitely interesting. I hope to see a few myself.

I'd like to see those little golden beetles as well.

Beautiful Stumpy, I love the shape of their heads, they look like aliens.

You shall not pass

Clearing debris from the runway so Miss Lusty does not have an untoward encounter with the quadriplegic black knight in the forest

You're a real gentleman!

A couple of interesting visitors in recent days including a small Oriental rat snake. No pics, the gf was too busy chasing it away.

Also a pair of Red-whiskered bulbuls. Attrative birds. They didn't stay around for a pic so I borrowed one from the Internet. You can sort of tell that it isn't mine from the way it is in sharp focus.



Then a Praying mantis, laying eggs.

Mantis is from the Greek, for prophet. They do have that sort of feeling about them.



Job done:

Continuing with the Greek theme, I found a stick insect in the leaf litter.

The Latin name for this order of insects is Phasmatodea, which happens to be taken from Greek phasma, meaning a phantom. This is interesting bcause the Isan name is something like ghost. I am guessing tht the Isan name is traditional, not borrowed from the Greek, so it is curious that the names are so similar. Maybe the Latin idea was borrowed from Isan, perhaps someone knows.

I found this old weathered tree branch at my wife's uncles farm, and tied a bunch of Orchids on it about a month ago. They seem to love it and are doing well.

Originally Posted by Shutree

You can sort of tell that it isn't mine from the way it is in sharp focus.

Shu, there is certainly something for you to improve on in your retirement

Originally Posted by Shutree

Then a Praying mantis, laying eggs.

Never seen that before, i like the way you decapitated her you are as consistent in your photography as Mendip is with his choice of wines.

Originally Posted by Shutree

Continuing with the Greek theme, I found a stick insect in the leaf litter.

The Latin name for this order of insects is Phasmatodea, which happens to be taken from Greek phasma, meaning a phantom. This is interesting bcause the Isan name is something like ghost. I am guessing tht the Isan name is traditional, not borrowed from the Greek, so it is curious that the names are so similar. Maybe the Latin idea was borrowed from Isan, perhaps someone knows.

Nice picture!! When i first saw it I thought it was a satellite picture of a country area. It took me a minute to see the stick insect.
I hope it is not a satellite picture , otherwise we will need to get Godzilla to come and fight it LOL

Originally Posted by malmomike77

i like the way you decapitated her

I can see the whole beast on my laptop. Are you looking on a phone or something which is helpfully cropping the pics?

ah apologies, needed to double click the pic - was too big to show on my page, you'd JPPRd it i seem to be having an Ootai moment