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NORTHERN WISCONSIN / NORTHWOODS JUNE ACTIVITY CALENDAR |
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|| KIDS PAGES -- JUNE ACTIVITY CALENDAR! JUNE Kids Activity Calendar June Brings Tulips, Lilies, Roses, Fills the Childrenâs Hands with Posies June 1 Read a Story or Poem About Pets If you could have any pet in the world what would you choose? Would it be one of these? Annie and the Wild Animals Jan Brett (story) Cats and Dogs N.M. Bodecker (poem) Chums Arthur Guiterman (poem) The Hairy Dog Herbert Asquith (poem) Hamsters Marci Ridlon (poem) Raccoons are for Loving Miriam Anne Bourne (story) Unfortunately Bobbi Katz (poem) June 2 Get a Pet Did you know that pets are good for your health? Thatâs what some researchers have concluded after seeing how sick people often recover faster when they spend some time with animals. Pets have a way of making people happy! Do you have a pet? Lots of animals make good pets, even some rather unusual ones. Dogs are great, but many smaller mammals can be just as affectionate, and a lot easier to care for. Hamsters and guinea pigs are popular choices, but have you ever thought of keeping a mouse or a rat? These two animals are very smart and enjoy being handled. Some pets are not as demonstrative, but are still fun to watch. Fish are a natural, but many reptiles make good pets, too. Want to snuggle with a snake, or lounge around with a lizard? Before you choose a pet, do some homework, and talk it over with your parents. Read up on the animal of your choice and talk to people who have one as a pet. Your parents are going to expect you to feed and exercise your pet (and clean its cage, too, donât forget!), but will they help you pay for it? Work out the details with our parents, and perhaps youâll be welcoming the newest addition to your family! Some people love animals so much that they canât bear the thought of eating meat. For this reason (and a variety of others) they choose to become vegetarians. Some vegetarians will eat no animal products and prefer not to wear any clothing made from animal skins; others permit themselves eggs and dairy products. June 3 Explore a Wetland What exactly is a wetland? Itâs a name given to any area that is covered much of the time with shallow water, that has visible plants growing in it, and an abundance of animal life. You may know wetlands as marshes, bogs, and swamps. You should be able to find either a freshwater or saltwater wetland near you. Conservationists are trying hard to convince communities to leave wetlands untouched whenever possible. They support a tremendous amount of life as they are both nurseries for animals that move on to other habitats, as well as home to many permanent residents; they are also natural buffers that contain flood waters and trap silt. Remember to dress for wet conditions when you go exploring. Wear boots or old sneakers, and dress in old clothes. Donât forget insect repellent. Wetlands are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other biting insects. Make an underwater viewer with you, a net, and something to bring home water samples, frogsâ eggs and animals in. In the heat of the day, many creatures are still, so stake out the area in daylight, and return at dusk or early the next morning. Be careful wading through the water -- the depth can be deceiving. What do you find in wetlands near you? Did you know there was so much going on there? June 4 Explore a Pond or Lake Ponds and lakes contain deeper water than do wetlands. But did you know that all ponds and lakes eventually fill in? Over the years, plants and animals that die in the water settle to the bottom. The layers build up (especially along the banks where tall plants quickly take hold) until there is no pond! But this can take a very long time. Youâve got plenty of time to explore. A body of water can be divided into four habitats - shoreline, waterâs surface, open water, and bottom. Collect water and wildlife from these distinct areas. Use your net, and your collection jars. Donât forget to look through your underwater viewer. At the shoreline you might catch a glimpse of animals that come to the water to drink. Many leave their tracks in the muddy bank. On the waterâs surface are many insects. Some actually walk on the water! There are floating plants, such as duckweed (a duckâs favorite!) and algae. In the water, look for frogsâ eggs, fish, and aquatic insects. At pond bottom, youâll come across the buried larvae of a number of insects, as well as aquatic worms and freshwater clams. Use a net shaped like a ãDä to dredge along the bottom. Thereâs more to a pond than meets the eye! Some lakes that have almost no plant or animal life are crystalline lakes. Lake Tahoe, in the western part of the United States is a crystalline lake. And did you know that the largest freshwater lake in the world is Lake Superior? June 5 Make an Underwater Viewer How can you see whatâs going on in the water without diving in? Use an underwater viewer! You can make a very simple viewer with materials you already have at home. All you need is a half-gallon milk carton, some clear plastic wrap and a rubber band or some tape. Cut both the bottom and the top off the milk carton. Stretch the plastic wrap over the bottom, securing it in place with a snug-fitting rubber band or some tape. Lower the viewer into the water, and place your face into the open end of the milk carton. The underwater area you are viewing will be slightly magnified. Itâs very much like a diving mask, only you donât have to get your face wet to use it. June 6 Walk Along a River Bank Wildlife found in rivers differs from that found living in ponds and lakes. Plants and animals in rivers must be able to withstand the constant movement of the water. Many have evolved to be dependent on the abundance of oxygen in moving water, and would die if transferred to still waters. Youâll notice, however, that there are little pools of water along the banks. These calm places serve as nurseries for many animals that then go on to live in the rougher water as adults. Rivers, too, are constantly evolving. Over time, a riverâs course can change dramatically. Walk along the banks of a river. Can you see any evidence of a changing course? What kinds of plants and animals do you find living in the water, and along the banks? What do you find in the pools alongside the stream? Rivers can be full of surprises. They meander in and out of rocky outcrops; they run wide and lazy in spots. And waterfalls? This is water at its most spectacular. June 7 Make a Pond Even if you only have a small yard, you can put a pond on your property. No, you wonât need to hire a bulldozer! Your pond can be as small and simple as a wooden tub sunk into the ground. Or make a slightly larger pond by hand-digging a shallow hole and lining it with thick black plastic. Ask your parents first, of course. Make sure the pond is located where it wonât be in he way, but preferably not under a tree where it can quickly get clogged with leaves. A pond about 6 feet in diameter will hold a variety of plants and animals. Dig a gently sloping hole that is at least 16â deep in the middle. Make a narrow ledge for shallow-water plants to root on. Before laying down the plastic, make sure that no sharp rocks are sticking up. Pad those rough places with some folded newspaper. Lay the plastic in the hole extending it well beyond the hole. Anchor the edge with stones or bricks and fill the pond with water from the hose. Cover the exposed plastic with turf or flat stones, or both. First you need to add plants to your pond. Different species root in different depths. You can collect these plants from other ponds. Next youâll want to add insects. Dredge for insect larvae at the bottom of ponds, or purchase some at a pet shop. Once your plants are established, and insects are making their homes in and around the pond, you can add other animals. They will feed, of course, on the plants and insects. Once the right balance is reached, your little pond will almost take care of itself. Your pond and aquarium will need the right kinds of plants to be healthy. Make sure you have plenty of plants that give off oxygen. Such as Canadian pondweed (waterweed) and arrowheads. Arrowheads and rushes and cattails do best in shallow water, so plant them on your pondâs edge. Plants that need deeper water include the pondweeds, and water lilies and hornworts. Let the plants grow for several weeks before adding any insects. Add insect larvae dredged from ponds as well as water fleas, leeches, snails, hydras, and diving beetles collected from the water and from plants growing in the water. Once the insects are established, you can add other creatures, such as fish and frogs. Many animals will be attracted to your pond and make themselves at home. June 8 Keep an Amphibian or Reptile Overnight The study of reptiles and amphibians is called herpetology. Youâll probably come across lots of amphibians and reptiles when you are exploring wetlands and ponds. If you havenât found any frogsâ eggs to hatch be on the lookout for some, but watch for adult frogs and toads, too. They are easily captured with a net. They will feel right at home in your indoor woodland garden, or rig a make-shift cage from a cardboard box. Make sure it has a cover, and a shallow pan of water in it, because frogs, especially need to keep their skin moist. If you are raising mealworms, offer a few to your guest. A number of turtles and snakes also spend time in and around water. Handle snapping turtles with care, because they do have a powerful bite. Snakes will attempt to defend themselves by biting, too. Most are harmless (the wound should be thoroughly washed, however), but learn what poisonous snakes live in your part of the country and avoid them. Unless you have made plans to keep your captive for a longer stay (in which case you must know what to feed the animal and how to care for it), return it to the pond or marsh the next day. June 9 Set Up an Aquarium Some of the plants and animals you find in ponds do very nicely in an aquarium. Start out with a clean tank and sterilized gravel. (Have your parents help you boil the rocks in water.) Spread the cooled gravel in the tank, sloping it gently up to the back (it should be about 1ä deep in front.) Collect (or purchase) many of the same plants you stocked your pond with. (Avoid duckweed which grows too quickly.) Anchor their roots in the gravel. Lay a sheet of newspaper in the tank and pour in the water. The paper will keep everything from shifting. After a couple of weeks, add some insects. Snails will help keep the tank glass free of algae, but add only a few. A freshwater mussel will also clear up the water. Diving beetles are fun to watch, but they may eat everybody up! You should eventually be able to add some small fish. Once you achieve the right balance in the tank, it should take care of itself. Just siphon off the debris that collects in the front of the tank, and add more water as it evaporates. June 10 Take a Look at an Insectâs Body The study of insects is called entomology. Did you know that there are more insect species than there are bird, fish, reptile, amphibian, and mammal species combined? Almost one million species have already been identified, and some scientists think there may be three times that number! We truly live in an insectâs world! Insects are small animals that have six jointed legs attached to a three-part body. Many have one or two pairs of wings. (Spiders - with eight legs and two body parts -- are not insects. Neither are a lot of other creeping, crawling invertebrates -- snails without a backbone -- often lumped together with insects.) Nor are all insects bugs. This distinction belongs to a certain group of insects. Many insects can be annoying, but all play a part in the scheme of things, and many are very helpful. Mosquitoes can be a nuisance, as can those insects that pester other animals and destroy crops in fields and warehouses. But how would many of these plants reproduce without the help of pollinating insects? Some insects transmit diseases, but many others provide honey, wax, silks, and shellac -- all important products. Do you like insects? Can you imagine what the world would be like without them? Now that you know that spiders arenât really insects, do you want to know what they really are? They are arachnids, members of a large group of animals that includes scorpions, mites, ticks, and even horseshoe crabs! Some other tiny creatures mistaken for insects are the centipedes and millipedes. Neither have the number of legs that their names suggest (count them sometime.) They are both in classes of their own. What about slugs and snails? Both are members of the mollusk family which includes oysters and clams and other shelled sea creatures. Woodlice, so common in leaf litter, are crustaceans. Other crustaceans you may be familiar with are crabs, lobsters and shrimp. Yum! What characteristics do these animals have? How do they differ from insects? And by the way, people enjoy eating insects! In South Africa, for instance, people roast termites and eat them like popcorn. In Mexico, a cake is made from the eggs of water boatmen. June 11 Hunt for Insect Homes With so many insects around, youâll have no trouble finding where they live! Insects generally donât live very long (adult mayflies live for less than a day; common houseflies last about 20-30 days) but they do find shelter for themselves in a number of places. Look for insects under rocks and fallen logs, within the bark of trees, and in water. Spiders stretch their webs in corners, both indoors and out. Ants make anthills; certain wasps, such as paper wasps, construct fabulous homes. Fallen leaves are home to many creatures that come out only at night. Many insects seek shelter under leaves still on trees and other plants. They also lay their eggs on these plants. Have you ever seen a cluster of tiny eggs on the undersides of leaves? You may be familiar with galls -- swellings on leaves, stems, and other parts of some plants. Various insects are gall makers, including gall wasps, aphids, and some flies. When these insects lay their eggs on the plant, the plant responds by forming tissue around the eggs or newly-hatched grubs. The mature insects eventually leave the galls by making tiny holes to exit by. Count the holes in a gall. How many insects lived inside of it (each makes its own exit hole)? Tie some fine netting around any whole galls you find. Check the galls daily. What kind of insects lived inside them? June 12 Preserve a Spider Web Spider webs arenât really homes for spiders -- they are actually traps for catching small insects that spiders eat. Not all spiders spin webs, and those that do, spin a variety of webs. You are probably most familiar with orb-webs, those made by garden spiders. Look for them on fences, window frames, and spanning garden plants. Have you ever come across one glistening with dew on a summerâs morning? You can preserve webs by mounting them on black paper that has been sprayed with hairspray. Place the paper in a cardboard box before spraying it to protect the area around you from the spray. Work quickly because the hairspray needs to be slightly tacky. If you want the strands of the web to stand out, sprinkle them first with talcum powder. Spray the paper with a protective coating once you get home. Many of the webs you come across will no longer have a spider in residence. A gentle tap on the strands will sometimes alert the webâs owner, thinking an insect has been caught in the sticky strands. If the web is occupied, leave it alone and find another. Native Americans believe that spiders are magical creatures. They associate them with the sun, because many webs with radiating strands look like to the sun. June 13 Use a Cricket as a Thermometer Have you ever noticed how crickets chirp more when itâs warm? They are very sensitive to temperature. A scientist named A.E. Dolbear also noticed this and came up with a way to guess the temperature by counting the number of times a cricket chirps in one minute. He based his figures on snowy tree cricket chirps, but you can count the chirps any crickets make. Other crickets are not as reliable, but itâs still fun to do. Listen carefully, because itâs sometimes hard to tell when one chirp ends and another begins. Use a watch with a second hand, and count how many chirps there are in one minute. Subtract 40 from this number, and divide the answer by four. Add 50 to this figure. This is what the temperature is in degrees Fahrenheit. Check with a thermometer. Does the formula work? Only male crickets chirp. They rub their wings together, drawing one across the other almost like a bow across a fiddle. Crickets have two songs - - one to attract females, the other to warn off other males. Can you tell the apart? Probably not, but the crickets can! June 14 Read a Story or Poem About Insects Insects are all around us! Creeping, crawling, flitting, and stalking. If you could choose, which insect would you like to be? But I wonder. . . Aileen Fisher (poem) Charlotteâs Web E.B. White (story) Dragonfly Florence Page Jacques (poem) Fireflies! Julie Brinkloe (story) Ladybug Joan Walsh Anglund (poem) The Way of an Ant Kazue Mizumura (story) June 15 Look for Insects in Leaf Litter A surprising number of tiny animals (not just insects) live under the leaves that litter the forest floor. Most spend their days under the protective layer of leaves, coming out only at night. Gather up a handful of leaf litter to take home making sure you get plenty of the damp leaves near the ground. You can get the tiny animals to come out of hiding with a Berlese funnel (also known as a Tulgren funnel). This simple set-up is made with a funnel (make your own from thing cardboard if you donât have one), wire mesh, a glass jar and a lamp. Cut the wire mesh into a circle to fit into the funnel. Place the funnel in the jar. Put some leaf litter into the funnel and place it under the lamp. Leave the lamp on for several hours. The heat will drive any animals down through the leaves, where theyâll fall through the mesh into the jar. What have you caught? Do you find mites and woodlice? What about millipedes (they donât really have 1,000 legs!), and springtails? How many of the creatures are actually insects? June 16 Make an Insect Growth Chart All animals go through some pretty amazing changes as they grow. Take a look at some of your baby pictures. Youâve changed quite a bit over the years, havenât you? Insects go through several stages of life, too. Some undergo three changes, others four. Make a chart that shows what these changes are, illustrating it with examples. Insects that go through three changes -- egg to nymph to adult - undergo incomplete, or simple, metamorphosis. The nymphs that hatch from the eggs look just like miniature adults. As they grow they shed their outer skin. These insects may molt many times before they are adults. Some examples of these insects include dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, and true bugs. Those insects that go through four changes -- egg to larva to pupa to adult --go through complete metamorphosis. The larvae that hatch from the eggs donât look anything like the adult insects. (Think of caterpillars that turn into butterflies!) Then they become pupae, where some truly amazing changes take place. The emerging adults are fully grown. Along with butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, ants, and beetles grow in four stages. June 17 Tend Your Gardens This goes without saying, of course! But make the daily chore of weeding and watering more enjoyable by having some fun while youâre at it. Examine the weeds you pull from the garden. Did they sprout from seed or did they spread by underground runners? Leave a small patch in your garden unweeded. What happens? What happens when you donât water our plants? Are the weeds hardy enough to take over when the cultivated species wilt? Look for insects in your garden. Capture some to observe. Which ones donât you want to have in your garden? The ãbad guysä include aphids, earwigs, Japanese beetles, and white-flies. Slugs, which are not insects, can also be a problem. Try biological controls to get rid of some of these pests. Experiment with individual plants. Let a head of lettuce go to seed (which many of them will do during a prolonged hot spell). Leave some carrots in the ground to grow and grow. How big do they get? These are all fun things to do, but thereâs an added plus. Everything you learn goes toward making you a better gardener! June 18 Visit a Pick-Your-Own Farm Fresh picked fruits and vegetables canât be beat! And you can pick your fill even if you donât have the garden space for everything youâd like to grow. Where? At a pick-your-own farm! Strawberries and other berries are among the most popular small farm crops, and many pick-your-own farms cultivate them. You pick the berries and pay either by the pound, or by the pint or quart. (Donât eat too many on the spot, lest you get sick!) Would you like to make your own jam? Pick a lot, and make up enough jars to give to all your friends. Do you like strawberry shortcake? Who doesnât! Choose plenty of strawberries to slice in half for this scrumptious dessert. Blueberries are delicious in pies, muffins, and jam, too. Where can you find pick-your-own farms? Check with your stateâs department of agriculture. Thereâs probably a listing of farms that are set up to let people harvest their own fruits and vegetables. Later in the year, youâll want to know where to go to pick your own apples, or select your own pumpkins. Always call ahead, because harvest times can vary from year to year. June 19 Pick a Wildflower Bouquet One of the nicest souvenirs of a walk along a country lane or through a meadow, is a bouquet of wildflowers. Wildflowers are not as showy as their cultivated cousins, but they have a simple beauty! They are also free! But remember, donât pick too many, and donât pull them up by the roots, and there are laws which prohibit picking any wildflower in many areas. So check before you pick! Wildflowers tend to be very hardy plants. Many of them thrive in barren places. But they tend to wilt quickly when picked, so take a pail of water with you, if you can. Use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the stems -- a clean cut heals faster. The flowers may droop a bit but the water will revive them. When you get home, strip the lower leaves off the stems so they wonât foul the water. Look for clovers in all sorts of colors, woodsorrels, and buttercups (do you like butter?) Later in the summer, youâll find Queen Anneâs lace blooming, as well as jewelweed, and purple and yellow coneflowers (one of the yellow ones is the back-eyed Susan). What are your favorite wildflowers? Grow some in your garden next year! June 20 Enroll in Some Nature Programs Are you always looking for something fun to do once school gets out? Look no further! Enroll in some of the nature programs put on by science museums and nature centers. There are one-day workshops where you can learn to identify wildflowers, explore a bog, or hunt for edible mushrooms; there are even day-camps that last much of the summer. What would you like to learn about? If you and your family are museum or nature society members, youâll get word of the programs by mail. Or just pick up the telephone and call for information. You donât have to be members to participate in these programs. Donât forget that many libraries and town recreation departments also sponsor summertime programs, and many may be nature-oriented. Have a wonderful summer! June 21 First Day of Summer The arrival of summer, on or about June 21, is also known as the summer solstice. It marks the day when the number of daylight hours in the United States is the greatest. The word solstice comes to us from Latin. It means ãsun come to a stop.ä For the first few days of summer (and the first few of winter) the sun doesnât appear to move once it has climbed in the sky. Have you noticed this? The sun is also highest in the sky during this month. Have you noticed how bright the days are? And how shallow the shadows are? Warm weather doesnât wait for this date, and you may already be enjoying your summer vacation from school, but the first day of summer is reason to celebrate! Honor the day by lighting a bonfire at dusk, which is what ancient peoples did in hopes of encouraging he sun to shine all summer. Sunny days (mixed with some rainy ones, of course) are necessary for good crops. Or take a picnic lunch into an area you have never explored. Bring home a bouquet of wildflowers to remember the day by. In Tokyo, hundreds of specially raised fireflies are released in celebration of the first day of summer. Midsummer is a special time for those in love. Bake heart-shaped cookies in honor of the day. June 22 Read a Story or Poem About Summer Summer means no school, no shoes, and lots of time to spend outdoors! What is your favorite thing about summer? How Summer Came to Canada retold by William Toye (story) A Moment in Summer Charlotte Zolotow (poem) Open Hydrant Marci Ridlon (poem) Summer Frank Asch (poem) Summer from The Four Seasons Jack Prelutsky (poem) June 23 Look for Milkweeds Milkweeds are among the easiest plants to identify. Break a leaf or stalk in two and out oozes a milky white sap. This sticky stuff gives the plant its name. Itâs not a particularly handsome plant although its flowers are quite lovely, but the monarch butterfly might disagree. Monarchs have a very special relationship with milkweeds. Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants. The emerging larvae eat the plants, and none others. When they go into their pupal stage, monarchs hang their chrysalises from milkweed leaves. When the adults fly off, what are they in search of? More milkweeds! All the milkweed the monarchs eat makes them taste bitter. This is their defense, an a mighty good one it is. Birds steer clear of the foul-tasting butterflies. A cleverly patterned look-alike, the viceroy butterfly, also benefits. They are mistaken for monarchs and are left alone, too! June 24 Make an Insect Net The best way to capture flying insects is with a net. You can make your own from a wire coat hanger, broomstick (or thick dowel), some nylon netting, a 3ä-wide strip of cotton fabric, and some strong tape. Straighten the coat hanger hook; then bend the rest of the hanger into a circle. Tape the hangerâs hook to the broomstick, wrapping it tightly with the tape. Measure around the wire circle (use a cloth tape measure to do this). Cut the netting into the shape shown - - make the straight edge the same measurement as the wire circleâs circumference. Sew the strip of cotton fabric to the straight edge of the net. Then sew the side seams. Finally sew the completed bag to the frame by folding the cotton strip over the wire frame and sewing it to itself. Practice using the net to get the hang of ãclosingä it. Twist the handle quickly youâve caught something to keep it from escaping. June 25 Visit an Insect Zoo Insect zoos are a popular feature at many nature centers and science museums. Insects that do well in captivity are kept in cages indoors (only the honeybees need access to the outdoors, and their cage has a small tube that the bees can leave by, exiting through a window or wall). You can study live insects from around the world, and you can get some ideas for an insect zoo of our own at home. Notice how the cages are outfitted. What are the insects given to eat and drink? Ask the staff if you have any questions. And check to see if there are any special programs on insects at the facility. Thereâs a lot you can learn about these little creatures. June 26 Construct an Insect Cage The insects that do well in captivity arenât too fussy about where they stay. A large glass jar (punch lots of tiny holes in the lid) works well. But a more spacious cage can be made from some materials you probably already have at home. Youâll need two round cake pans of equal diameter, some screen and some modeling clay (the kind that doesnât harden). Cut the screen a foot wide and a couple of inches longer than the circumference of the pans. Make a tube from the screen the same size as the pans (sew or tape the seam). Press some modeling clay into the two pans, and place one on each end of the screen. The clay will secure the screen and make the cage escape-proof. If you hope to keep insects any length of time, youâll need to provide food and water. Many insects favor one food. Try offering leaves from the plants you fund the insects on or near. Keep the leaves fresh by sticking the stems in a glass of water (cover the glass with foil so that the insects donât drown). Give them water by sprinkling a few drops on a cotton ball. June 27 Raise Some Mealworms If you would like to keep an amphibian for longer than overnight, you will have to feed it. This isnât too hard to do if you have some mealworms on hand. Mealworms (and other live food) can be bought from pet shops, but itâs easy to raise them at home. Mealworms are the grubs (larvae) of a black beetle. Purchase some from a pet shop (a mix of adults and larvae is best) to start your own culture. Place them in a large cookie tin along with a mixture of bran, flour and pieces of dried bread. Put the tin in a warm spot, at least 77 degrees F. The eggs the adult female lays hatch in about a weekâs time. The larvae take about six months to mature (this is what you are raising for food) before turning into pupae. This stage lasts about three weeks, when the adult beetles finally emerge. Add more bread or cracker crumbs to the tin as needed. To keep the level of humidity just right, put a carrot slice or apple core into the tin, replacing it every few days. June 28 Start an Ant Farm Have you ever seen an ant struggling with an impossibly heavy load? Ants are among the most industrious insects, and they are great fun to watch. You can make an ant farm (or formicarium as it is properly called) from a narrow container. Gather up some ants in a self-locking plastic bag, including any eggs and larvae you find. Look for the queen (she is a much larger ant). A colony without a queen will dig tunnels, but will die in a couple of weeks. Life revolves around the queen because only she lays eggs. Place the ants in the refrigerator for an hour; this slows them down so that itâs easier to transfer them to the formicarium. Meanwhile, fill the container with dirt. Put the ants in the container (do this outside, in case some get away!); stretch an old nylon stocking over the top and place the container in a tray of water. Any stray ants wonât get far. Youâll need to cover the formicarium with a light-proof cloth, and provide food and water in small quantities. Place little bits of ripe fruit, meat, and an occasional spoonful of jam or honey on the soilâs surface. Lift the cloth now and again to see whatâs going on. What do you see? June 29 Make a Nest Box for Bees Many types of bees are social insects that live in colonies just like ants. These include various wasps and honeybees. some of these can be annoying pests if they make their hives too close to peopleâs homes. But there are some others known as solitary wasps and bees, and these you can encourage to nest. Your garden will thank you! Make a number of different nesting sites. Tape a bundle of drinking straws together, and attach them to the underside of a window sill. Plug one end of the straws with some modeling clay (face some each way). Or drill some very narrow holes (5/32ä to 3/8ä in diameter) in a log that can stand upright. Put it in a sunny spot. Who moves in? Bumblebees can also be accommodated by making a nest from an upturned flower pot (make sure it has a hole in he bottom, which will be the entrance). Sink the pot into the ground and put an old mouse nest in it. (The female bumblebees seek out discarded mice nests in the wild). You might be able to get some mouse bedding from a pet store. Lay a flat rock or piece of wood over the pot (raise it up slightly) to protect it from the weather. Female bumblebees are usually in search of nesting sites in April. June 30 Watch a Caterpillar as it Changes You can witness the marvel of insect metamorphosis by caging a caterpillar and watching the changes that take place. Itâs not always easy to tell whether your caterpillar will turn into a butterfly or a moth. Prepare your cage for both, just in case. Put an inch of potting soil in the bottom of your cage (this is for the moths which pupate underground). Lean some sticks in the cage for butterflies -- they hang their chrysalises. A butterfly makes a chrysalis, a moth a cocoon. Note the type of plant the caterpillar is eating when you find it. Supply fresh leaves daily. Put them in a covered glass of water. As the caterpillar grows, it sheds its skin. How many times does this happen? Then comes the pupal stage. How long it remains a pupa, depends on the species. Generally, caterpillars found in spring and early summer turn into adults the same year. Those found later in the year remain pupae until the following spring. (Keep these in a cold -- but not freezing -- place, such as an unheated garage.) The insects donât eat at this time, so take away the leaves. Put a moistened paper towel in the bottom of the cage to keep the humidity the right level. Sprinkle it with water now and again. Watch what happens when the pupa opens up. What have you got? A butterfly or a moth? Once it has dried its wings, take it outdoors and release it. Adult butterflies and moths are easier to tell apart. There are three things to look for (although there are exceptions to the rules). Butterflies fly by day; most moths are nocturnal. The wings of butterflies fold up vertically when they are at rest; moths spread their wings flat horizontally. Lastly, butterflies have antennae that are long with a little knob at the end; moths have feathery feelers. |
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