Squash bees (Peponapis pruinosa) have been pollinating pumpkins in North America for thousands of years. All pumpkins are descended from a single species of squash-- Cucurbita pepo, native to the southwest. Squash bees have coevolved with this plant over thousands of years, and thus are highly attuned to its habits.
Like all cucurbits, pumpkins are monoecious, which means that each plant bears either all-male or all-female flowers. Therefore, pollinators are necessary to move pollen from the flowers of one plant to another. Enter the mighty squash bee!
The diminutive, half-inch long squash bees emerge in early July, just as their favorite plants begin to flower. Early risers, they feed at dawn, just as the flowers are first opening (they’ll close by midday, so time is of the essence!)
Both sexes drink nectar, but females rely entirely on squash pollen to feed their young. This pollen is relatively large and sticky, and adheres well to the squash bee’s hairy body.
Faster than a speeding bullet? At least, faster than a honeybee. Their highly efficient foraging schedule and hairier body makes them a squash super-hero! And when their workday is done, you could find a male snoozing inside a closed-up flower. Pollinating is hard work!
Squash bees are solitary and ground nesting; they build shallow tunnels, often in the bare, packed soil right beneath the plant. They’ll overwinter there, so exercise caution--tilling will disturb or destroy the nest.
Happy Halloween!
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: bugguide.net

Many people like to mow their lawns quite late in the season to easily catch those last fallen leaves and give a tidy appearance. But this practice has several drawbacks.
Grass skippers are a distinctive presence in the garden and are easily identified at rest. With their hind wings held flat on the surface and the forewings held at a 45 degree angle, their silhouette resembles a tiny fighter jet! Skippers lay their eggs on grasses and sedges, and the caterpillars roll the edges of the leaves to make a shelter, sealing the edges with silk. There the caterpillars will spend the winter. The fiery skipper (pictured) is especially fond of Bermuda grass and crabgrass.
If you give your grass a ‘crewcut’ late in the season, you could be chopping up next year’s skippers. Leaving it longer is better for your turf, too--grass that’s cut very short in the late fall or early spring allows weeds to get a head start. If the lawn really needs cutting, consider setting your mower to its highest blade height (at least six inches). That way, the blades will pass over the top of the growing caterpillars, and you’ll also give your turfgrass a fighting chance come spring.
Ornamental grasses (such as fountain grass or muhly grass) should be left standing through the winter. In addition to providing shelter for many creatures, they provide interest in the winter landscape. They can be cut back in the spring, when the first green shoots of new growth begin to appear.
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo courtesy of Riveredge Nature Center

As the days shorten and temperatures drop, wildlife obey their instinct to build up reserves and find shelter for winter. For humans, our autumnal urges often lean in the direction of tidying up—especially our gardens. But we often overlook the fact that our drive to clean up can come at the expense of some of the creatures who share our landscapes.
Fallen leaves are essential winter shelter for many pollinators and other creatures. As leaves fall, consider raking them into your garden beds. Not only do they enrich your soil by breaking down into (free!) compost, they provide insulation for many butterflies and moths that pupate in the soil, just under the leaf litter. Azures, Hairstreaks and Sphinx moths are just a few of the Lepidoptera who will thank you for this cozy blanket.
If the look of leaves is more unkempt than you can tolerate, consider shredding them by running over them with a mower first. You can even make your own shredder by placing them in a large metal garbage can and using a string trimmer as a ‘stick blender’ to break them down. They can then be used as the best mulch that money can’t buy!
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: wisconsinbutterflies.org

You've probably heard that old wives’ tale about how a woolly bear’s stripe can predict the weather for the winter ahead. Traditionally, it’s been said that a mostly black woolly bear means a harsh winter, while a large rusty band predicts a milder one. This lore dates to colonial times and was even more widely circulated after a small study by a New York State entomologist was published in the New York Herald Tribune in 1948.
In fact, the woolly bear caterpillar's coloring is based on several factors: how well the caterpillar has been feeding, its age, and its species. The larvae will shed their skins six times before reaching adult size, and their color changes with each successive molt. An early spring or wetter weather during the caterpillar’s development can mean more food resources, quicker growth, and thus more change in coloration.
Additionally, of the approximately 260 different species of tiger moth in North America, each has a slightly different color pattern--some entirely black, and some with little to no black at all.
So it would seem that woolly bears might be better at recapping the season behind us than predicting the weather ahead! But whether they’re useful forecasters or not, we can help woolly bears by providing good habitat. As generalists, tiger moths aren't fussy, but important larval host plants include deciduous trees and herbaceous plants such as asters and sunflowers.
We can also provide plenty of winter shelter in our landscapes, such as leaf litter and fallen logs.
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Wayne Longbottom

The ‘woolly bear’ caterpillar is often seen in autumn as it trundles along, crossing roads and pathways in search of winter shelter. Its common name is derived not just from the ‘woolly’ bristles that cover its body, but also from its habit of going into dormancy during the cold months of winter.
Woolly bears are the larval stage of the tiger moth. There are more than 260 different species of tiger moths in North America; one of the most common is the Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrhactia isabella, pictured). The caterpillar will spend the winter in this stage, aided by its body’s ability to manufacture a type of antifreeze (glycerol) which will keep it alive during periods of freezing weather. It searches for sheltered nooks (such as cavities under tree bark) in which to hunker down for a long winter’s nap. When spring comes, the larva will feed briefly before spinning its silky cocoon and transforming into a beautiful tiger moth.
And what about the folklore that suggests that you can predict the severity of the winter ahead based on a woolly bear’s coat? Tune in tomorrow for the answer!
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Dave Roberts