friends of orchids

[DirtyCoconuts]

I know this is the pest section but i have been moving more and more of my plants out of the screened in safety of my patio and I am meeting more and more of the creepy crawlies that dwell on my other plants and i am finding that there are soldiers on both sides of the battlefield and i am not without allies in this war!!!

okay, enough fan fiction...…

i have noticed that spiders, NOT mites, anoles, geckos have been taking residence on, near or adjacent to all my orchids

Here is the small lychee tree under which keep Schoms and i spotted this character hiding out
Anole by J Solo, on Flickr

and here is the same guy from far away...sneaky sneaky
Anole by J Solo, on Flickr

I have also been watching a pair of ladybugs DESTROY an aphid colony on one of my milkweed bushes...they are voracious!!!

I have seen more bees around too, which is always good, here is a hard worker on a Penta
Anole by J Solo, on Flickr

and, of course....the Cuban croakers who serenade me half the year ( and just yell for fun the other half)….i have not seen them eat anything off the orchids but i assume they do
Tiny tree frog by J Solo, on Flickr

and an old image of a female croaker on the fern
Other plants by J Solo, on Flickr



what other beneficial insects and friends do you have in your gardens and yards?