AI6YR BenMar 1
Building up the sides of an existing garden bed, and putting on a squirrel discouraging top of some sort. Calendula, arugula, a few assorted edible weeds. Original bottom is pallet wood. Two current issues here I am fixing: not deep enough for soil, squirrels. Last year I walked out here and there were 6 squirrels UNDER the squirrel "proof" cover. #gardening
Show threadAI6YR BenMar 1
Way too hot now, so deployed the heatwave tarp (metallic woven mesh, aluminet). Let's air through but reduces UV and sunlight. #aluminet #heatwaves
Show threadAI6YR BenMar 1
First Monarch of the season. It apparently hatched out inside a squirrel excluding garden bed, had to rescue it. Yes, it's on my hat, lol. #butterfly #Monarch #gardening
Show threadAI6YR BenMar 1
Garden bed. Needs a lot more soil, and sides. Arugula has gone bitter, too hot. #gardening
Show threadAI6YR BenMar 1
Sunlight levels outside the aluminet (20.5), in shade (17), under aluminet (19). Don't know what that is in lumens or percentages. #shade
Show threadAI6YR BenMar 1
Massive, ugly grubs in the soil here. These hatch out to become green beetles.. (apparently too big to be Japanese beetles... they are ugly though... and the big green beetles fly at your face when they hatch lol) . #gardening
Show threadDa_GutMar 1
@ai6yr if they are largish green beetles, that sounds a lot more like what in Georgia we call June bugs. Which are native.
Japanese beetles are much smaller - about the size of a dime, and brown.
Show threadcrispy branzino ☭ (sold out forever)Mar 1
@Da_Gut @ai6yr it is time to get chickens.
Show threadAI6YR BenMar 1
@Nimbius666 @Da_Gut LOL my son would love chickens in the backyard. As would the coyotes, owls, rats, raccoons, and Red Tail Hawks! 🤪
Show threadAI6YR Ben

@Nimbius666 @Da_Gut AHA!

It's certainly this one... Cotinis mutabilis, the figeater beetle. There are a ton of them here, because they are attracted by a large tree I have a grape growing in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figeater_beetle

Figeater beetle - Wikipedia

Mar 1 at 9:42pmWeb
Show threadDa_GutMar 2

@ai6yr @Nimbius666

Yeah. That certainly looks almost exactly like a June bug all right. Fig eater huh? I’ll read that Wikipedia article.
Cool beans!