Did you know that during the molting stages of the caterpillar, a "juvenile hormone" keeps the insect in the caterpillar stage and will not allow it to enter the chrysalis stage. When the caterpillar has fully grown, it stops eating and crawls away from its host plant to find a safe area for its next change. The hormone is no longer produced, and the caterpillar sheds its skin to reveal its chrysalis.

Who are the pollinators and why are they important? Bees: Bees are the best pollinators in the Eastern United States and their tireless work benefits the reproduction of a myraid of crops essential to human existence such as alfalfa, melons, soybeans and tomatoes. Not all bees are created equal and most of us are familiar with the colonies of honey bees that have provided agricultural pollination in America for decades. These honey bees were first imported to America for decades. These honey bees were first imported to America from Europe more than 400 years ago. In addition to these celebrity-type imported workaholics, there are nearly 4000 species of less well known native ground and twig nesting bees in the US! Some of these native bees form colonies but others maintain a solitary life of tireless servitude that results in the production of fruits, vegetables and nuts for the benefit of us all. Native bees currently pollinate many commercially important food crops and their numbers can be increased if their nesting habitat, nectar and water needs are known are are provided by the average homeowner. More on bees tomorrow...

What is Compost Tea? | The Dwarf Fruit Trees Blog

Great information on different ways to make compost tea. What is Compost Tea? The Dwarf Fruit Trees Blog