[jimdc]

i left an old cookie sheet outside and it rained.a couple of days later i noticed these purple spots in about 1/4" water in the cookie sheet. i couldnt tell what they were so i used a pair of 25x glasses and saw what looked like life on an alien planet. 100s of purple grubs with 3 other types of bugs on top. some of the other bugs were eating the puple grubs on others looked like they were protecting them. i watched for over an hour. i have never seen these before or since. anybody know what they are? the big circle is about quarter size.

[Ibechillin]

Originally Posted by jimdc

i left an old cookie sheet outside and it rained.a couple of days later i noticed these purple spots in about 1/4" water in the cookie sheet. i couldnt tell what they were so i used a pair of 25x glasses and saw what looked like life on an alien planet.

[jimdc]

i soaked some manzanita in a 55 gallon plastic barrel and after 2 weeks, honey bees really craved the water. there were 100s of bees on and around this barrel today.

[Ibechillin]

Saw a green mantis today on the wall behind my plant.



2 spiders took up residence on my plant, webs are side by side i think male and female. Today they caught honeybees, bad spiders...



This one caught 2 honeybees in its web today.

[Betterhaff]

There was a mantis on the antenna of my van yesterday morning, just perching. Went to get my phone for a pic but he was gone when I got back. Was going to also grab him and put him in the garden. Good to see them around though.

A few years ago one laid an egg pouch on a trellis in my garden. When they started hatching it was a riot. Those little suckers were like miniatures of the adults but seemed so much more aggressive, even cannibalistic. Didn’t have too many insect problems that year.