island cassie

After our recent heavy rain lasting days - I have never seen so many really big butterflies snacking on papaya peel in the compost heap. With wings spread these chaps must be almost 5 inches across - but so hard to catch on camera. There were also some chocolate and lime green chaps that didn't stay, and several sizes of black and yellow striped, as well as the pale yellow ones and the ones like slices of mango! I don't mind holes in leaves (as long as it is not something special) if it means that these beauties are around - big exotic caterpillars usually means something special in the way of moths or butterflies and they are welcome here. The neighbours (mostly north american sadly) spray house and garden against everything (hence the death of my original bananas) and can't understand why I won't allow it.

Bob

It's amazing the results of those who insist on spraying everything. I've used no chemicals on my lawn or garden since I got this place 10 years ago. My neighbors on all sides do opposite. Every summer my yard is filled with lightning bugs(fireflies) at night and is lit up from dusk for several hours all the neighbors are amazed because they hadn't been seen as much till I moved here and they are all coming from my yard. I had the same results at my previous place so I know thats how it works.
Beautiful pics.........take more!

__________________

island cassie

Thanks Bob - in our small yard we have had mannikens, bananaquits, hummingbirds, woodpeckers and flycatchers nesting, as well as solitary bees mining into the pergola supports - fireflies and a gazillion types of lizards and salamanders, snakes too. You and I are often in the minority but often ignorance of the natural world is at the bottom of things - if people just knew the benefits of not spraying I think they would be converted.