Friday’s Farm Fauna – House Mouse

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to our weekly series: Friday’s Farm Fauna.  Life abounds at our training farm, and it’s not just the fresh veggies, fruit, and flowers our farmers grow.  From wild turkeys to snapping turtles to bumblebees, every Friday, we share a glimpse of the hidden life on our farm.

House MouseIt’s winter time, and things have slowed down at the farm.  We’re busy ordering seeds, making our crop plans, and recruiting new farmers for the farm.  One day recently, Tyler (our production training coordinator) went over to our storage unit to get some totes and noticed holes in our bags of cover crop seed.  And holes in the insulation of our walk-in-cooler.  And poop.  Lots of it.

We have an infestation of house mice (Mus musculus) – tiny critters who thrive in homes and farms across the country.   They didn’t cause us very big economic damage, but the health risks are enormous.  Mice carry disease that can easily spread to humans, and since we use our storage unit as the hub of our CSA vegetable storage and packing, we can’t have mice running around.

With a few cheap mousetraps from the hardware store and a jar of peanut butter, we got our first three kills this afternoon.  Once we get the population under control, we’ll mouse-proof our cooler and do a deep, sanitizing clean.  We’ll be sure to store our cover crop seed in sealed containers from now on!

To read earlier posts in this series, click on the link below:
Orbweaver Spider
Neohelvialis Moth
 Year in Review (includes link to 2012 posts)

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Friday’s Farm Fauna – Orbweaver Spider

Posted on January 18, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to our weekly series: Friday’s Farm Fauna.  Life abounds at our training farm, and it’s not just the fresh veggies, fruit, and flowers our farmers grow.  From wild turkeys to snapping turtles to bumblebees, every Friday, we share a glimpse of the hidden life on our farm.OrbweaverOne of my fascinations with beekeeping is the amount of creatures who make their home in or near beehives.  I regularly discover hijackers, scavengers, and even predators as I go about tending to the bees at our farm.  One day, I removed the top cover of the hive and found this orbweaver spider snuggled up underneath.  She’s a close relative of the garden spider that you may have run across on your farm or in your garden.  Thanks to UNL’s Entomology Department, there are several photos of Nebraska’s orbweavers to help identify this spider.  Unfortunately, none of the photos look like this one, so I’ll have to content myself to simply call it an orbweaver.

Though I found her hiding in a beehive, this spider (and those like her) make their living by spinning webs to catch flying insects.  My guess is that she was either feasting on unsuspecting bees or on flies attracted to the scent of honey.  Her beauty makes her a welcome addition to our farm, and she and her children help manage the pest pressure in our vegetable fields, even if they nab one or two of our pollinators in the process.

To read earlier posts in this series, click on the link below:
Neohelvialis Moth
 Year in Review (includes link to 2012 posts)

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Growing Farmers

Posted on January 16, 2013 by | Leave a comment

A sunny day in Lincoln means that green thumbs are itching all over the city.  Seed catalogs cover kitchen tables, and gardeners salivate over the newest varieties that promise outstanding flavor and increased disease resistance.  Aroused from their winter slumber, spading forks turn compost piles and lift up the edges of mulched beds, giving their owners an excuse to get their hands dirty before spring’s real work begins.

Yes, the growing season is almost here, and for some gardeners in Lincoln, it is time to take the next step.  Rather than just growing for their own families (and somehow, inevitably, the entire neighborhood), some families will decide to make some money from their hobby.  Maybe they will form a small CSA, set up a booth at the farmer’s market down the street, or just sell to neighbors and friends.

In the same way that a bountiful garden requires planning and hard work, a farm business needs to be well-thought out in order to succeed.  Fortunately, farmers in Lincoln (and southeast Nebraska) have resources to help them work through this process.  Several farm conferences, apprenticeships, and classes are geared toward beginning farmers in our area.  The Growing Farmers Training Program at Community CROPS is one such program.

2012 Winter Workshop Participants Tour Robinette Farms

2012 Winter Workshop Participants Tour Robinette Farms

Our winter workshop series begins this Saturday, January 19.  During the series, beginning growers will learn about how to plan for a successful business.  We’ll cover everything from money to liability insurance to how to start seeds.  We’ll also tour five small farms to that beginning farmers can see firsthand how to set up their operations.

We still have some open seats in this year’s series – register today!

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Friday’s Farm Fauna – Neohelvialis Moth

Posted on January 11, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to our weekly series: Friday’s Farm Fauna.  Life abounds at our training farm, and it’s not just the fresh veggies, fruit, and flowers our farmers grow.  From wild turkeys to snapping turtles to bumblebees, every Friday, we share a glimpse of the hidden life on our farm.

MothIn a culture obsessed with information, it’s amazing how little we know about the world around us.  I took this picture in July 2012, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not find a positive identification for this insect.  Fortunately, I stumbled onto butterfliesandmoths.org, a website dedicated to collecting and sharing information about the Lepidoptera order.  I quickly signed up for a free account and submitted this photo.  A few months later, I received notification that my photo had been identified.

This moth (Neohelvibotys neohelvialis), was given its name in 1967 by an entomologist named Hahn W. Capps.  Mr. Capps worked as an entomologist specializing in Lepidoptera for the Bureau of Entomology, and this is one of several species of moths that he named.  (As a side note, I always thought that moths had hair on their antennae and butterflies didn’t, but this insect is still considered a moth.)

Unfortunately, I know nothing about this moth’s role on our farm.  Here, it is pollinating a basil flower, so I assume that its role of pollination is beneficial to our farm.  Members of its taxonomic family are pests of grasses, so I suspect that our corn-growing neighbors aren’t too fond of it.  Friend or foe, I am glad it found a sanctuary on our farm.

To read earlier posts in this series, click on the link below:
Year in Review (2012)

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Friday’s Farm Fauna – Year in Review (2012)

Posted on January 4, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Fauna Collage

When we started the Friday’s Farm Fauna series in summer 2012, we didn’t realize how many creatures inhabit our farm, nor did we realize how critical their lives are to the success (and failure) of our crops.  Biodiversity is under-appreciated in conventional farming; just read this article on NPR to see the severity of the problem.  Since we use sustainable growing methods like adding compost, growing cover crops, and using few pesticides (only those approved for organic production) our farm is a haven for dozens (if not hundreds) of species that simply can’t survive in fields of corn and soybeans.

We learned a lot this year, and we hope you did, too.  The 2013 series begins next Friday!

To read posts from the 2012 series, click on the links below:
Small Hive Beetle
Daddy Longlegs
Praying Mantis
Pillbugs
Wolf Spider
Painted Turtle
Meadowhawk Dragonfly
Pink Spotted Lady Bug
Squash Bugs
Meadow Vole
Woodhouse’s Toad
Soldier Beetle
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Tomato Fruitworm
Western Gray Tree Frog
Grasshopper
Robber Fly
Bumblebee
Pavement Ant
Plains Leopard Frog and Western Ribbon Snake
Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar

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Friday’s Farm Fauna – Small Hive Beetle

Posted on December 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to our weekly series: Friday’s Farm Fauna.  Life abounds at our training farm, and it’s not just the fresh veggies, fruit, and flowers our farmers grow.  From wild turkeys to snapping turtles to bumblebees, every Friday, we share a glimpse of the hidden life on our farm.

Small Hive BeetleThis little guy (or gal, as the case may be) is a small hive beetle (Aethina tumida).  They are native to South Africa, but have been in North America for at least sixteen years.  They make their home in beehives, where their larvae tunnel through the comb, eating the honey and pollen.  Really, who can blame them – honey is pretty good stuff, and I wouldn’t mind a life of stuffing myself silly with honey!

Unfortunately, the larvae of the small hive beetle are not hygienic.  Not only do they eat the honey, but they also poop everywhere, and if the bees don’t find them and kick them out soon enough, they can destroy all the honey stores in the hive.  In South Africa, bees are aggressive at dealing with hive pests, and the small hive beetle doesn’t cause too many problems.  However, the European species of bees that we keep in America often don’t catch the beetles in time, which creates a mess in the hive and can cause a colony to fail.

When we harvested honey at Sunset this past fall, we found a few mature hive beetles like this one, but no larvae.  Our bees are bred to be more picky than other bees, so we’re hoping that they keep the beetles under control this winter.

To read earlier posts in this series, click on the links below:
Daddy Longlegs
Praying Mantis
Pillbugs
Wolf Spider
Painted Turtle
Meadowhawk Dragonfly
Pink Spotted Lady Bug
Squash Bugs
Meadow Vole
Woodhouse’s Toad
Soldier Beetle
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Tomato Fruitworm
Western Gray Tree Frog
Grasshopper
Robber Fly
Bumblebee
Pavement Ant
Plains Leopard Frog and Western Ribbon Snake
Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar

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Friday’s Farm Fauna – Daddy Longlegs

Posted on December 21, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to our weekly series: Friday’s Farm Fauna.  Life abounds at our training farm, and it’s not just the fresh veggies, fruit, and flowers our farmers grow.  From wild turkeys to snapping turtles to bumblebees, every Friday, we share a glimpse of the hidden life on our farm.Daddylonglegs

I grew up believing that these spiders had the most deadly venom of any spider, but that their fangs were too small to puncture human skin.  Fortunately, I’m wrong!  Daddy longlegs aren’t venomous, nor do they have fangs.  In fact, they aren’t even spiders!

Daddy longlegs, more properly known as harvestmen, make up the order Opiliones, which is distantly related to spiders and is part of the arachnid class.  Harvestmen are the only arachnids that swallow chunks of their prey; all other arachnids liquefy their food before they eat it.  They eat a wide variety of animals, insects, and decaying matter, which makes them a farmer’s friend.

The most conspicuous feature of the daddy longlegs is, of course, their legs.  In fact, daddy longlegs have the largest leg length to body length ratio of any animal on earth!  Not only to they use their legs to walk and catch prey, but they also use them to breathe and smell.  Over 200 species of daddy longlegs live in North America.  I have not been able to identify this one, but I’m certainly glad it chose to make its home on our farm!

To read earlier posts in this series, click on the links below:
Praying Mantis
Pillbugs
Wolf Spider
Painted Turtle
Meadowhawk Dragonfly
Pink Spotted Lady Bug
Squash Bugs
Meadow Vole
Woodhouse’s Toad
Soldier Beetle
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Tomato Fruitworm
Western Gray Tree Frog
Grasshopper
Robber Fly
Bumblebee
Pavement Ant
Plains Leopard Frog and Western Ribbon Snake
Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar

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Friday’s Farm Fauna – Praying Mantis

Posted on December 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to our weekly series: Friday’s Farm Fauna.  Life abounds at our training farm, and it’s not just the fresh veggies, fruit, and flowers our farmers grow.  From wild turkeys to snapping turtles to bumblebees, every Friday, we share a glimpse of the hidden life on our farm.

Praying Mantis

Erin, our production training coordinator, came back to the van after a day in the field and found this praying mantis silhouetted on her backpack.  Fortunately, she thought quickly and snapped a picture before releasing the mantis back into the field.

If you want to be technical, this insect is a mantid, but I’ve watched Kung Fu Panda enough times that I’ll stick with mantis.  Several species of native and non-native mantises make their home in North America.  As usual, I’m not sure what species this is; its gray color didn’t match any species descriptions in our office’s insect identification guides.

Mantises are predatory insects, closely related to cockroaches and termites.  Unlike either of those insect, mantises don’t spread disease or eat your house.  Instead, they feast on insects of all kinds (and sometimes larger animals), capturing them with the rapid movement of their forearms.  They feed by biting and chewing their prey, usually head first.  Female mantises often eat males after copulation (though it is unknown how often this occurs in the wild).  Most mantises only live one year, dying when cold weather sets in.  However, their egg sacs survive the winter and hatch a new batch of baby mantises (instars) the next spring.  As cool as mantises are, I don’t think I’d ever want to be one.  Especially a male.

To read earlier posts in this series, click on the links below:
Pillbugs
Wolf Spider
Painted Turtle
Meadowhawk Dragonfly
Pink Spotted Lady Bug
Squash Bugs
Meadow Vole
Woodhouse’s Toad
Soldier Beetle
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Tomato Fruitworm
Western Gray Tree Frog
Grasshopper
Robber Fly
Bumblebee
Pavement Ant
Plains Leopard Frog and Western Ribbon Snake
Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar

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Friday’s Farm Fauna – Pillbugs

Posted on December 7, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Welcome to our weekly series: Friday’s Farm Fauna.  Life abounds at our training farm, and it’s not just the fresh veggies, fruit, and flowers our farmers grow.  From wild turkeys to snapping turtles to bumblebees, every Friday, we share a glimpse of the hidden life on our farm.

Few bugs in the garden are beloved by children as much as the roly-poly (Armadillium vulgare).  These little creatures are perfectly harmless, they roll up in balls when they’re scared, and their legs gently tickle your palm when they decide that you’re safe enough to explore.  What’s not to like?

As we were moving bricks into the field as weights for our row cover, we uncovered this little nest of rolypolies, more formally know as pillbugs.  Pillbugs don’t have strong mouthparts, so they only feed on dead or decaying organic matter.  This means that pillbugs rarely consume vegetable crops, but will occasionally be discovered feeding on plants that have already been damaged.  You most often find them under mulch, rocks, or wherever they can find a sheltered, moist environment.  This is particularly important for young pillbugs, whose leading cause of mortality is excessive drying.

Pillbugs are not insects, but crustaceans.  Their taxonomic class, according to Wikipedia, “contains a greater diversity of body forms than any other class in the animal kingdom.”  Other members of the class include lobsters, crabs, and shrimp.  Anyone up for deep-fried popcorn pillbugs?

To read earlier posts in this series, click on the links below:
Wolf Spider
Painted Turtle
Meadowhawk Dragonfly
Pink Spotted Lady Bug
Squash Bugs
Meadow Vole
Woodhouse’s Toad
Soldier Beetle
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Tomato Fruitworm
Western Gray Tree Frog
Grasshopper
Robber Fly
Bumblebee
Pavement Ant
Plains Leopard Frog and Western Ribbon Snake
Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar

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Friday’s Farm Fauna – Wolf Spider

Posted on November 23, 2012 by | 3 Comments

Welcome to our weekly series: Friday’s Farm Fauna.  Life abounds at our training farm, and it’s not just the fresh veggies, fruit, and flowers our farmers grow.  From wild turkeys to snapping turtles to bumblebees, every Friday, we share a glimpse of the hidden life on our farm.

In honor of Black Friday, I chose this black wolf spider as today’s featured Farm Fauna.  When we moved these sandbags to use as weights for row cover in our winter production, this spider politely waited until I dug out my camera before scurrying off to another dark place.

Identification is difficult for this spider.  It is a part of the Lycosidae family of spiders, all of whom hunt for their prey rather than using webs.  I couldn’t find any web resources to get a positive identification on this spider’s species, and the printed guides in our office simply say that there are many species in North America, and it is hard to distinguish between them. In general, the wolf spiders’ eyes set them apart from other spiders: a row of four small eyes, two large ones above the row, and two smaller ones pointing backwards.  I bet if you had 360 degree vision and eight legs, you would be a pretty good hunter, too.

While wolf spiders terrify the arachnophobes among us, they serve an important role on the farm.  They devour many, many insects, and they are not harmless to humans.  So, next time you see one of these fellows in your bathroom, consider trapping it and returning it outside to your garden instead of smashing it.

To read earlier posts in this series, click on the links below:
Painted Turtle
Meadowhawk Dragonfly
Pink Spotted Lady Bug
Squash Bugs
Meadow Vole
Woodhouse’s Toad
Soldier Beetle
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Tomato Fruitworm
Western Gray Tree Frog
Grasshopper
Robber Fly
Bumblebee
Pavement Ant
Plains Leopard Frog and Western Ribbon Snake
Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar

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