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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Garden Who's Who







We are all familiar with ladybugs and this is a variety I hand't noticed in our garden before. It's rather small and oval shaped and cute!




Above and below hold the answer to yesterday's question. Both taken this morning, you can see the baby avocados growing. Above shows some of the top of our tree, each avocado being only about 3cm (one and a half inches) long at this stage. Below is the largest avocado we have on the tree at the moment, about 5cm or two inches long. In a few months they will be large enough to begin picking. They ripen after they are picked.







Yesterday I discovered our yard is home to numerous citrus stink bugs. Now the one above is not too much of a worry, but the big fat ones below are quite numerous and being about 2cm or an inch long, they can be destructive to plants and can burn/stain people and give off a stinky smell when disturbed. I might need to look into removing them....







This pair looks like a mirror image, you can see the dead tip of the citrus plant, not good, yet still fascinating.

Sharing at And Then She Snapped, This or That Thursday, Macro Friday, Camera Critters, Foto Friday (second photo chosen as the week's feature photo).

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44 comments:

  1. GigaDecember 1, 2011 at 11:35 AM

    Nawet te szkodzące roślinom owady są ładne i jest problem, bo trzeba je usunąć :-(, jak chcemy mieć owoce.Zdjęcia są śliczne. Pozdrawiam

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  2. 黄清华 Wong Ching WahDecember 1, 2011 at 11:48 AM

    Fantastic shots ! love the clarity !

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  3. Gone CountryDecember 1, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    Beautiful photos!

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  4. JeanneDecember 1, 2011 at 12:52 PM

    such lovely photos, and very interesting bugs.... especially thata stink bug. The avocados look delicious ( well soon anyway) also love your music, and makes me think of summer and spring ( it is not that here for sure) HOpe you are having a lovely spring, with summer coming soon. Have a great day!

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  5. Andrea December 1, 2011 at 1:01 PM

    I love them! some beautiful pictures

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  6. KalaDecember 1, 2011 at 1:44 PM

    Great details in the images of the stink bugs - too bad they're such pests.

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  7. Judy December 1, 2011 at 2:56 PM

    Wonderful shots here...I especially love the top one.

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  8. Nadege,December 1, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    I just love avocado.
    Love the details on the little bugs.

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  9. UnknownDecember 1, 2011 at 5:15 PM

    I would have never guess Avocados.. How cool. Your photos are AMAZING..

    Hugs, Linda

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  10. thefisherladyDecember 1, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    :) avocados~ lovely...
    the bugs are actually very gorgeous... I wonder if you can introduce a different critter that will scare away the damaging ones... We gather ladybugs from the driftwood at the seaside in Spring to put on our roses...They rest happy there and the aphids disappear. Also garlic cloves planted around the rose plants deter aphids. When watered the garlic scent is disagreeable for them but the human cannot notice it when smelling the roses. I wonder if garlic would work for you

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  11. DiverseDecember 1, 2011 at 6:26 PM

    Wonderful photos! :)

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  12. LizDecember 1, 2011 at 7:45 PM

    Gorgeous images Karen!! The ladybugs are absolutely beautiful and so shiny. I am very jealous of your avocado tree!! I absolutely love avocados.
    The stink bugs you could certainly do without, I think.

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  13. GemelDecember 1, 2011 at 8:07 PM

    I can go outside for five minutes, and then, suddenly I am lost in the insect world that surrounds me.
    Fabulous ♥

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  14. Karen @ Pieces of ContentmentDecember 1, 2011 at 8:52 PM

    I understand Gemel, although I always have an ear inclined to my children as well.

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  15. NovemberkindDecember 1, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    Diese Baumwanzen gibt es bei uns auch in vielen Farben.
    Schade, dass solch schöne Tierchen so schädlich sind. Umso schöner der Anblick des Marienkäfers, der ein fleißiger Blattlausfresser ist.

    Liebe Grüße nach Australien.
    Bina :-)

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  16. s.cDecember 1, 2011 at 9:23 PM

    Great macro's again. Nice to know that yesterdays posting is of an advocado.
    .

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  17. AnonymousDecember 1, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    An Avocado, wow! I would have never imagined this.
    It's such a pleasure to visit you, It's like a walk in a mysterious land. Thank you and have a very nice day!

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  18. geaninaDecember 1, 2011 at 9:55 PM

    goureous photos!:)

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  19. ana.grDecember 1, 2011 at 11:58 PM

    Impressive macros! There is so much life in those plants!
    Bugs look so cute through your camera!

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  20. Gillian OlsonDecember 2, 2011 at 3:58 AM

    Great pictures, I don't think I have seen an avocado plant before, and the close ups of the bugs are amazing.

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  21. Gail DixonDecember 2, 2011 at 4:44 AM

    A citrus stink bug?! Who knew? Very interesting looking creature. You have so many exciting flora and fauna nearby.

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  22. AnnaDecember 2, 2011 at 6:28 AM

    Great macro's and I love it... the are so beautiful Sunshine!
    Greetings, Anna (Netherlands)

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  23. JaymiDecember 2, 2011 at 7:10 AM

    love the second shot of the ladybug--great focus! And omigoodness, I have NEVER seen a stink bug like that before!

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  24. Tamar SBDecember 2, 2011 at 7:58 AM

    Those ladybugs are amazing!! Love seeing avocados on the plant - so cool!

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  25. FilipBlogDecember 2, 2011 at 8:29 AM

    The ladybug is a real acrobat.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  26. WencheDecember 2, 2011 at 9:06 AM

    Ladybugs I`ve seen before - but the other two not :0) Thankyou for sharing :0) Beautiful shots :)

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  27. deb dutyDecember 2, 2011 at 11:45 AM

    Really great ladybug photos! I know how hard they are to capture because I tried last summer. They were so tiny and fast too!

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  28. UnknownDecember 2, 2011 at 1:11 PM

    Really fascinating. Bugs used to creep me out. Now they just intrigue me!

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  29. BeeDecember 2, 2011 at 1:13 PM

    Gosh I love macro photography! Those aphid things look huge! How big were they really?

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  30. KateriDecember 2, 2011 at 1:51 PM

    I love that first photo of the ladybug--a slightly different perspective than usual!

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  31. Jill G.December 2, 2011 at 2:07 PM

    These are amazing macros! I can't ever get such good shots of bugs!

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  32. CaryDecember 2, 2011 at 2:22 PM

    How great to have an avocado tree! I love seeing your summer pictures just as we are entering the winter season. By the way... how's that quilt coming along?
    :)

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  33. ScottDecember 2, 2011 at 4:37 PM

    wow! Very nice set of photos. I like you insect shots a lot!

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  34. Seeing Each DayDecember 2, 2011 at 5:48 PM

    Well I never thought it would come to this - when I'm having to be in awe of a photo with a subject that I'm definitely not in awe of. Now Karen, you know what I'm doing right now don't you - my right eyes closed and my lips are pursed in a cringing way. But I can't not comment on the detail (the very fine cringing details!!) of your last photo. Look (not too long though) at the crisp brown and green colours you've captured in the...the...bug thing. Completely at ease with your ladybug shots - your pictures of them are lovely. And so interesting to look at the avocados. I'm really keen to start growing a tree in the backyard.

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  35. Light TriggerDecember 2, 2011 at 11:04 PM

    impressive macro shots!

    Light Trigger: OUR ENTRY

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  36. AnonymousDecember 3, 2011 at 3:30 AM

    Fabulous photos! This is the first time I've seen a stink bug although they seemed to be quite common here on the US east coast. There have been incidence of people's screens covered with them. Hope they leave your garden soon!

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  37. UnknownDecember 3, 2011 at 8:09 AM

    Amazing creatures!

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  38. Sarah VioletDecember 3, 2011 at 10:46 AM

    The first 2 and last 2 pictures are really stuning! I love them!

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  39. LindaDecember 3, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    wonderful macro work!! :)

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  40. PearlDecember 3, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    How beautiful. Summer!!

    Greetings from a cold Minneapolis,

    Pearl

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  41. DeniseinVADecember 4, 2011 at 10:31 AM

    Please excuse me if I am repeat visiting and commenting. I came before here earlier and thought I had made a comment but I don't see it here. Just wanted to say I think your photos are marvelous.

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  42. SivindenDecember 4, 2011 at 6:07 PM

    Such detailed photos of the bugs. The yellow one is beautiful!

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  43. PatDecember 5, 2011 at 9:26 AM

    These are fantastic shots!

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  44. LoriDecember 9, 2011 at 12:31 PM

    These are great shots! I never seem to be able to capture bugs!


    Lori

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