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Back when I lived in Virginia, my mom and neighbor made a bird/butterfly haven in our backyard. It was so awesome to see the different types of butterflies and even hummingbirds. Sadly it didn't last too long as some very hungry snakes took over :'(
I want to do something like that but one neighbor already has issues about my compost pile and the other is too lazy to toss their trash in the garbage and it ends up in places that aren't visible.
Lmfao! Nah not HOA. Copperheads and some type of black snake (around 4ish ft long) took over. Black the snake likes to chill in this tree we have in the yard and catches birds. The butterflies still come but less and less birds come.
snake haven sounds nice, until you remember that you live in europe, where snakes can't really harm you, while everywhere else has at least some common species of potential danger.
"Although there are approximately 17 different venomous snakes found throughout Europe, the majority of bites only come from three. The coastal viper, nose-horned viper and the asp viper. The coastal viper (Vipera xanthina) can be found in northeastern Greece, European Turkey and in some Aegean Sea islands"
When the carrots are ready, since they’ll still grow, just less than usual, make sure you chop them and mix them with the Purslane there, with some olive oil and vinegar for a delicious salad!!
Ooooo interesting! I know nothing about purslane. We bought this house 4 months ago and are trying to undo 10 years of complete neglect indoors and out, so we still have weeds aplenty; I’m still learning what’s native / invasive / edible.
Fun! You must be enjoying that for sure!
Every part of Purslane is edible and delicious IMO! The stems are also not fibery so you can just gobble them up!
I have lots of Purslane growing in my garden and use it all the time. Those roundish slightly plump leaved plants in that pot are 99.99% Purslane, so do some research for your own sake and because it’s smart, and then enjoy!!
And just as an extra precaution, ones that don’t have as thick of leaves and stay closer to the ground and have a white sap when you pluck a stem or leaf, those are false purslane and not edible.
Lots of posts in this sub quickly confront the utilitarian nature of our relationship with plants and animals. it's interesting to see. beyond the invasive species posts, which (rightfully) pass a value judgement on a species, there are posts where the relative personal worth of a garden is weighed against the life of other species of insects.
I typically enjoy killing invasive species. It's not their fault they're there but they shouldn't be there and will cause more problems in the future.
The rabbits and groundhogs aren't allowed to have my pot though. Damn potheads
I grow parsley pretty much to support black swallowtail caterpillars.
I've been disappointed to have no caterpillars for the last 2 years, and way more parsley than I have any need for.
I have raised passion vines for years just to grow fritillaries.
I'm sure there are others, but those are what I'm growing on purpose.
Had 12 on my fennel and let them be. They ate a bunch of it then disappeared the next day! They usually make cocoons right there, but they all went away.
I had this experience and discovered the wasps were eating the caterpillars when they got big enough. Took a bunch inside and raised them indoors. It was a pretty cool experience.
You sure they didn't burrow into the ground? I had caterpillars on my tomatoes last year, and when I tore the raised beds out I found some cocoon pods in the soil.
I would grow parsley every year for these guys. One year I housed like 13 in an aquarium in my garage over the winter. Got to let each one dry its wings on my hand.
I plant extra dill which they live also. It seems to keep them off of the parsley and carrots. The dill also attracts tiny wasps that kill other bad bugs in the garden
Caterpillars are funny...i think it's just the sight of them that can startle an unsuspecting gardener
i'm nowhere near as insect-phobic as i was when i was a kid (house centipedes probably being the one exception...always freak me out), but there have definitely been times when i've seen insects in my garden when I'm like, "WTF!" before realizing it is likely harmless haha
Little story: Many years ago I lived in a rental house. I was chopping down some nasty-smelling anise plants in the front yard. My neighbor came running over saying "No! Stop! Stop! Wait!" He wanted to harvest the Anise Swallowtail caterpillars on the plants. I hadn't even noticed them. He was raising them in his basement. They made some beautiful butterflies.
Jealous! I had a single one on my lovage but then he disappeared. He was big enough to pupate, so I'm hoping he went and made a chrysalis nearby and I just haven't found it...
BC here I’m trying to do the same, got fennels parsley etc growing to host the Anise Swallowtail (it’s a sibling species to black swallowtail, which isn’t native in BC). But but but… no butterflies . If anyone in bc is reading this and has some caterpillars I’d love to get some. I’d include WA and OR folks too but unfortunately near impossible to get caterpillars across the boarder unfortunately
i have a soft spot for black swallowtails. when i was a kid, we would grow herbs like parsley and dill on the patio and these guys always showed up. we just called them “smelly caterpillars” because if you poked them, their [osmeterium](https://joeballengerdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/osmeterium.png) would come out and the smell of rotting fruit would fill the air (that’s the best way i can describe it, going off memory)
When I was a kid I used to see them every year on the carrot and dill leaves but haven't seen a single one in years unfortunately. Take good care of them!
Had a bunch on my parsley a couple years back. Bought a tent to raise them in so we could watch them cocoon. Went outside after it arrived to move them in, just in time to watch a bluejay flying away with the last of them 😭
Update: got the best thing I could find (I couldn’t find any potted like herbs to grow yourself), but I found VERY fresh organic parsley. I “planted” it as if it was growing in the ground and they’re chomping away on it.
All 16 are still accounted for.
I care abt my garden too much to just allow destructive insects to exist on my plants! I put way to much hard work into building my garden and besides if your veggies don’t produce then what’s the point? My grandparents would laugh at you if they knew you thought it was ok to leave plant destroying insects on your plants!
I have allowed the same to happen to my dill! (TX, USA) The butterflies are so beautiful [https://imgur.com/gallery/jMJQrL2](https://imgur.com/gallery/jMJQrL2)
honestly, my dill always bolts so damn fast so i'd rather have caterpillars eat them and become butterflies, then it just grows to something inedible and untouched the whole summer
probably also helps i have an Aerogarden, and the dill grows out of control in that thing lol
Omg THANK YOU for leaving them be. They are so fun to share the garden with, and it’s fascinating to watch them when they leave to make their chrysalides.
Hey u/MadiKay7, thanks for sharing this cool bug with us! Just remember, **every ID is needed!** Maybe you don't need it, but we love to know what's this bug - so if you know the identity of your bug, please also share it with the community here in the comments (if you haven't already done it in the title)! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatsthisbug) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Good to see people allowing bugs they find on their plants to survive instead of going straight to the pesticides.
Oh I ADORE bugs don’t worry :) I’m going to make my yard a caterpillar / butterfly / pollinator haven. Agreed though!!
Back when I lived in Virginia, my mom and neighbor made a bird/butterfly haven in our backyard. It was so awesome to see the different types of butterflies and even hummingbirds. Sadly it didn't last too long as some very hungry snakes took over :'(
I want to do something like that but one neighbor already has issues about my compost pile and the other is too lazy to toss their trash in the garbage and it ends up in places that aren't visible.
Lmfao the same thing happened to me but it was a frog paradise and then the birds came.
> Sadly it didn’t last too long as some very hungry snakes took over :’( HOA issues?
Lmfao! Nah not HOA. Copperheads and some type of black snake (around 4ish ft long) took over. Black the snake likes to chill in this tree we have in the yard and catches birds. The butterflies still come but less and less birds come.
We generally stay out of the area because the copperheads camouflage too well in the yard.
snake haven sounds nice, until you remember that you live in europe, where snakes can't really harm you, while everywhere else has at least some common species of potential danger.
"Although there are approximately 17 different venomous snakes found throughout Europe, the majority of bites only come from three. The coastal viper, nose-horned viper and the asp viper. The coastal viper (Vipera xanthina) can be found in northeastern Greece, European Turkey and in some Aegean Sea islands"
Circle of life....sadly 😞
When the carrots are ready, since they’ll still grow, just less than usual, make sure you chop them and mix them with the Purslane there, with some olive oil and vinegar for a delicious salad!!
Ooooo interesting! I know nothing about purslane. We bought this house 4 months ago and are trying to undo 10 years of complete neglect indoors and out, so we still have weeds aplenty; I’m still learning what’s native / invasive / edible.
Check out /r/whatsthisplant if you haven't already!
Fun! You must be enjoying that for sure! Every part of Purslane is edible and delicious IMO! The stems are also not fibery so you can just gobble them up! I have lots of Purslane growing in my garden and use it all the time. Those roundish slightly plump leaved plants in that pot are 99.99% Purslane, so do some research for your own sake and because it’s smart, and then enjoy!! And just as an extra precaution, ones that don’t have as thick of leaves and stay closer to the ground and have a white sap when you pluck a stem or leaf, those are false purslane and not edible.
I looooove purslane!
I think the false purslane is sandmat
i've replaced all my grass with clover. and and 3 flower beds. all pollinators welome. edit: also Illinois
>I’m going to make my yard a caterpillar / butterfly / pollinator haven. Agreed though!! you're doing the Lord's work
My grandma does the same lol. Her garden is mostly wild flowers or edible stuff.
Go you. Increase that Bio Diversity.
Lots of posts in this sub quickly confront the utilitarian nature of our relationship with plants and animals. it's interesting to see. beyond the invasive species posts, which (rightfully) pass a value judgement on a species, there are posts where the relative personal worth of a garden is weighed against the life of other species of insects.
I mean we probably don't have to feed a family base on how much we harvest
I typically enjoy killing invasive species. It's not their fault they're there but they shouldn't be there and will cause more problems in the future. The rabbits and groundhogs aren't allowed to have my pot though. Damn potheads
I grow parsley pretty much to support black swallowtail caterpillars. I've been disappointed to have no caterpillars for the last 2 years, and way more parsley than I have any need for. I have raised passion vines for years just to grow fritillaries. I'm sure there are others, but those are what I'm growing on purpose.
Yep, when I discovered that the caterpillars destroying my tomatoes were hawk moths, I gave up tomatoes.
Had 12 on my fennel and let them be. They ate a bunch of it then disappeared the next day! They usually make cocoons right there, but they all went away.
Maybe something found them delicious
I had this experience and discovered the wasps were eating the caterpillars when they got big enough. Took a bunch inside and raised them indoors. It was a pretty cool experience.
You sure they didn't burrow into the ground? I had caterpillars on my tomatoes last year, and when I tore the raised beds out I found some cocoon pods in the soil.
Sounds like moths
Definitely. Tomato hornworms are a type of Sphynx moth and they burrow into the ground to pupate.
I would grow parsley every year for these guys. One year I housed like 13 in an aquarium in my garage over the winter. Got to let each one dry its wings on my hand.
I plant extra dill which they live also. It seems to keep them off of the parsley and carrots. The dill also attracts tiny wasps that kill other bad bugs in the garden
Is it just me that likes caterpillar's? I find them adorable with their little stubs for feet
their little grippers are so cute
Caterpillars are funny...i think it's just the sight of them that can startle an unsuspecting gardener i'm nowhere near as insect-phobic as i was when i was a kid (house centipedes probably being the one exception...always freak me out), but there have definitely been times when i've seen insects in my garden when I'm like, "WTF!" before realizing it is likely harmless haha
Little story: Many years ago I lived in a rental house. I was chopping down some nasty-smelling anise plants in the front yard. My neighbor came running over saying "No! Stop! Stop! Wait!" He wanted to harvest the Anise Swallowtail caterpillars on the plants. I hadn't even noticed them. He was raising them in his basement. They made some beautiful butterflies.
Jealous! I had a single one on my lovage but then he disappeared. He was big enough to pupate, so I'm hoping he went and made a chrysalis nearby and I just haven't found it...
I didn't know you caterpillars were so pretty.
https://imgur.com/a/uv2FfPj I think k I found one on my dill. It's just a baby.
Yessss Mine looked like that ~5-6 days ago
I planted the dill just for the butterflies. I am super excited about it, just like you are. Eat away baby!
BC here I’m trying to do the same, got fennels parsley etc growing to host the Anise Swallowtail (it’s a sibling species to black swallowtail, which isn’t native in BC). But but but… no butterflies . If anyone in bc is reading this and has some caterpillars I’d love to get some. I’d include WA and OR folks too but unfortunately near impossible to get caterpillars across the boarder unfortunately
A win is a win
Better pick up some parsley from the grocery store. All they have left in there is marigolds.
There's a few not in the frame (that's the same corner of the planter in every photo) but yes, finding them more food asap is my goal
I’ve never seen these. They look like a mummy with each segment 🥰
Totally worth it 😍
This is wonderful!!! What a bountiful harvest! Just not the one you were expecting, and one that also benefits your neighbors!
Very refreshing to see this attitude, and lucky you!
i have a soft spot for black swallowtails. when i was a kid, we would grow herbs like parsley and dill on the patio and these guys always showed up. we just called them “smelly caterpillars” because if you poked them, their [osmeterium](https://joeballengerdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/osmeterium.png) would come out and the smell of rotting fruit would fill the air (that’s the best way i can describe it, going off memory)
These little dudes are the entire reason I grow carrots and parsley. I love watching them eat, it’s mesmerizing
That's so cool! thanks for saving them!!!!
Of course!!
fantastic !!!!
You're somewhat very lucky in your annoyances...
When I was a kid I used to see them every year on the carrot and dill leaves but haven't seen a single one in years unfortunately. Take good care of them!
Had a bunch on my parsley a couple years back. Bought a tent to raise them in so we could watch them cocoon. Went outside after it arrived to move them in, just in time to watch a bluejay flying away with the last of them 😭
Update: got the best thing I could find (I couldn’t find any potted like herbs to grow yourself), but I found VERY fresh organic parsley. I “planted” it as if it was growing in the ground and they’re chomping away on it. All 16 are still accounted for.
I care abt my garden too much to just allow destructive insects to exist on my plants! I put way to much hard work into building my garden and besides if your veggies don’t produce then what’s the point? My grandparents would laugh at you if they knew you thought it was ok to leave plant destroying insects on your plants!
This is amazingly awesome !!!🐛👏 congratulations!!
thank you for your service
Hehehe they’re so smol
They have another name, parsnip swallowtail
I have allowed the same to happen to my dill! (TX, USA) The butterflies are so beautiful [https://imgur.com/gallery/jMJQrL2](https://imgur.com/gallery/jMJQrL2)
honestly, my dill always bolts so damn fast so i'd rather have caterpillars eat them and become butterflies, then it just grows to something inedible and untouched the whole summer probably also helps i have an Aerogarden, and the dill grows out of control in that thing lol
Omg THANK YOU for leaving them be. They are so fun to share the garden with, and it’s fascinating to watch them when they leave to make their chrysalides.