Home Wildlife

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by harmonics101

Almost one page and no mention of ants, wasps, blue bottle flies, or maybe a stray moth perhaps,

That's the only wild life I know that has actually made it inside the house,

H

I got stung 5 times last week when I was trimming weeds away from our blueberry bushes and stirred up a hornet's nest -- literally. One of them stung me between my nose and my upper lip on the right side. Man, I had a fat lip for about 3 days because of the swelling. Fortunately, I am not allergic to stings like that. They still hurt.

So yes, we see members of the wasp family here.

- Glenn

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by harmonics101

Almost one page and no mention of ants, wasps, blue bottle flies, or maybe a stray moth perhaps.

That's the only wild life I know that has actually made it inside the house.

Why didn't someone say that in the first place? NYC is a great place for inside-the-house wildlife - just ask the Orkin man...

[Greg Rappleye]

Apparently, no one told the fisher (mammal) I saw on my way to work yesterday that he is not supposed to exist in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. But there he was, crossing the road.



Greg Rappleye

[flaggerphil]

Originally Posted by flaggerphil

I live along the Space Coast of Forida. We have all kinds of snakes, gators, panthers, bobcat, black bears, lots of birds of prey including osprey, Sandhill cranes, black vultures, ibis, pelicans, tons of different sea birds, sea and land turtles, manatees, lots of sharks including bull sharks and the occasional great white, dolphins, whales, and sunburned tourists.

Almost forgot about the raccoons, opossum, and wild turkey around here, and the armadillo that killed a hedge in my front yard with its burrowing.

[Brucebubs]

My sister-in-law in Tasmania has a 2 storey house.
One day they discovered that bees had built a hive in the chimney of the fireplace in the downstairs living room.
They sought advice and were given a 'bomb' to let off in the chimney after blocking it off inside with cardboard, just above the fireplace.
They did exactly that and left the house.
When they returned they discovered the weight of all the dead/dying bees was too much for the cardboard and they all spilled out and onto the living room carpet.
White carpet.
They were all covered in sticky honey.
And black chimney soot.
Thousands of sticky black bees on white carpet.

[Dr. Spivey]

I live in town. A mile in one direction are farm fields, a mile in the opposite direction is the river. I see hawks and eagles on a regular basis, an occasional deer, geese, turkeys, and the usual urban squirrels, birds, etc.

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I got stung 5 times last week when I was trimming weeds away from our blueberry bushes and stirred up a hornet's nest -- literally. One of them stung me between my nose and my upper lip on the right side. Man, I had a fat lip for about 3 days because of the swelling. Fortunately, I am not allergic to stings like that. They still hurt.

So yes, we see members of the wasp family here.

- Glenn

Ouch, Glenn! Lousy place to get stung. I got stung once on my right forearm last week when I disturbed a wasp nest in a railway tie while cutting the grass on my garden tractor (I have many as landscaping borders). Best spot to take the hit if ya gotta.

[Nailpicker]

Here in the "backwoods of WI" we have just about everything: Too many species of wildlife to list. It would be easier to list what we don't have. My wife is an ornithologist and loves the many, many species of song birds that are in the woods surrounding us and come to our feeders. She belongs to several state and national bird survey groups and a couple years ago our property ranked #3 in the entire state for total species and total numbers of birds. About three years ago a photo journalist did a video for local TV affiliates documenting our huge population of Hummingbirds.

Both on our property or within a reasonable driving distance we have virtually every northern climate North American specie of mammal except Grizzly and Polar bear and (wild) bison.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I got stung 5 times last week when I was trimming weeds away from our blueberry bushes and stirred up a hornet's nest -- literally. One of them stung me between my nose and my upper lip on the right side. Man, I had a fat lip for about 3 days because of the swelling. Fortunately, I am not allergic to stings like that. They still hurt.

So yes, we see members of the wasp family here.

- Glenn

Really sorry to hear that. Last summer I got stung by yellow jackets and had to take steroids to counteract the swelling. It always fascinates me that folks have a fear of larger predators, even snakes, but more of us are killed and adversely affected by insects....

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by RP

Really sorry to hear that. Last summer I got stung by yellow jackets and had to take steroids to counteract the swelling. It always fascinates me that folks have a fear of larger predators, even snakes, but more of us are killed and adversely affected by insects....

True I imagine the fact that being stung by a Grizzly or Shark is more dramatic and perhaps many people are simply around insects but not around large predators. And also large predators have probably been the subject of more Hollywood productions .

Here is a photo I took just yesterday, of bear scat while on a hike about 1/2 mile behind the house.

I wear a size 8 hiking boot for context

[Steve DeRosa]

I thought bears used Charmin after they crap in the woods...

Great photo, Kev - if it's not copyrighted I'd like to duplicate it and send it as a greeting card to some folks I know...

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

I thought bears used Charmin after they crap in the woods...

Great photo, Kev - if it's not copyrighted I'd like to duplicate it and send it as a greeting card to some folks I know...

Apparently it hasn't been to local toiletry dispensary lately .

Great idea go right ahead , I know a few candidates also .

It should be noted immediately after snapping the shot I did undo the top strap of the bear spray holster.

[Brucebubs]

Snapped these 2 guys on my lawn yesterday.
Rainbow Lorikeets.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Snapped these 2 guys on my lawn yesterday.
Rainbow Lorikeets.

Wow very cool, native wild I assume ?

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Wow very cool, native wild I assume ?

Sure are Kev, Australia's native animals are all kinda dull, earthy coloured but a lot of our native birds are extremely bright and decorative.
This is a King Parrot I snapped in a tree in my front garden.
Similar green plumage with the Rainbow Lorikeet but a much larger bird .... I like his red 'pants'.