Sunday, July 10th by Ash Arons – The College of Wooster Pollinator Plots

Welcome back, I hope you enjoyed some be(e)utiful weather this week. If not, our most recent news is sure to brighten your day: on July 7th, 2022 we were officially recognized as a Xerces Society Bee Campus USA affiliate! We are over the moon with excitement and can’t wait to be(e)gin making the most of our partnership!

[Bee-Search]

Pretty Much Pinned

More good news this week: I finished pinning all of the bees that were caught in the last Pollinator Plot pan trap sampling! They’re going to need to dry for a while on the Styrofoam before I can move them around under the microscope. Our second collection will be occurring next week, so stay on the lookout for brightly colored bowls across campus.

An Emerald Angle

This be(e)dazzling sweat bee took the top spot for best microscope pic of the week:

[Research]

Tough Love Kid

Still stuck on the sticky traps this week, I was able to complete one of last year’s collections. The picture you see highlights the reoccurring situation I found frozen across several traps… The four large bugs that look like roadkill are actually aphids, and all of those orange specks are their babies. With over 21 kiddos in this cluster alone I can safely say I’m glad not to be an aphid.

Beneficial Bug Compost

Got too many spare bugs lying around and taking up space? Well, I’ve found the perfect (resting) place! Helpful in a myriad of ways, this bug compost will make the most of their short lived days…

[College Garden]

All Tucked In

This week, Dr. Mariola’s team of vegetable garden helpers tackled the first row of mulching. I think the bergamot stood a little taller for this photo:

Be(e)tween the Aisles

No new blooms this week, but I got a couple of good pics – have a peek!

A Lil’ Leaf Beetle on the Butterfly Milkweed

[Pine Patch]

Counting Cones

One new bloom this week: Grey-headed coneflower! I included some more brown-eyed Susans as well to provide a contrasting yellow coneflower.

Grey-headed coneflower, *Ratibida pinnata*

Buzz on the Block

Be(e)sides the Bees

Red Milkweed Beetle, *Tetraopes tetrophthalmus*

[Vegetable Garden]

Broken Bag

Beetles be(e)ware! We got another bug bag this week because if you look be(e)neath our original one you will find that its contents gave way… hooray?

Apples on Apples

If you haven’t had the opportunity to stop by the vegetable garden you will notice some bags on the Fruit Trees! Each bag is protecting a growing apple and serves as a preventative measure against pests (in the event the Beetle Traps are not enough).