[Baltimore Sun] Garden Q&A: In honor of the wild mothers
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I thought I would take today to present a sort of appreciation tour of the abundance of wildlife mothers in our landscapes and gardens. While some animals don’t actively raise their young, spring is still “baby season” for many species.
We receive lots of wasp ID questions in spring. This time of year, hornets, yellowjackets, and paper wasps are all building new nest sites. These species have to start from scratch each year. Only the queens are out this early, and these “working mothers” do all the labor by themselves at first, gathering wood pulp to form the papery nest cells and foraging for food to feed the first generation of larvae. Being slightly larger than their daughters in many cases, sometimes their size alarms people.” Eventually, the daughters will take on these duties and defend the nest. We recently compiled a new web page about social wasps where you can learn more about these awesome insects.
Bumble bee queens forage on our spring blooms while they too start a new nest alone. If you are tempted to clean up fallen leaves from autumn, be aware that this blanket may be sheltering a new nest in the ground underneath. (Try to give her the shelter she needs for her children.)
Various beneficial insect mothers are also active and starting to produce the next generation of little garden helpers. Ladybugs, hoverflies (flower flies), and tiny parasitoid wasps are hunting nuisance pests like aphids and unwanted caterpillars on our tender new plant leaves. Eggs are laid either near the cluster of pests or directly on or inside their bodies. Learn how to recognize them in their juvenile stages so you don’t accidentally throw them out.
Migrant songbirds have arrived and are staking out territories for nesting and hunting insects for their babies. It takes a lot of caterpillars and spiders to fuel the rapid growth of those baby birds we find so endearing. Garden with insect attraction in mind, using a diverse mix of species and minimizing pesticide use, to give these feathered treasures the resources they need to thrive. Even hummingbirds, which we see drinking nectar at feeders and dangling or red flowers, rely on small insects to feed nestlings.”
Some snakes begin gestation in spring (and will bear live young or lay eggs later this year), and their appetite probably increases for prey like slugs/snails, millipedes, earthworms, insects, rodents, and other species. They help regulate animals we consider garden pests and should be welcome in gardens.
Praying mantis eggs, laid in insulating foam cases last fall before the mother mantis died, are also about to hatch. These adorable little predators will eat anything they can grab ahold of, including each other. We have only one native species here – the Carolina Mantis – but the other local species have been in our ecosystem for a long time.
Some spider species emerge from egg sacs in spring, though being tiny, often go unnoticed until their webs get larger as they grow over the summer. Spiders prey predominantly on insects and are valued natural pest control. They also make great bird food.
Expectant bat mothers may be eager to use a well-placed bat house, though if they’ve settled into a spot inside an attic, be sure not to block access until they are no longer caring for pups. Learn more about our local species on the DNR’s Guide to Maryland’s Bats page.
If you have an animal burrow on your property, try to let it stay undisturbed if you aren’t sure if it’s in active use or not. Foxes may den in it (and manage your vole and rabbit population as rent), or skunks might be using it to shelter their young. Have beetle grubs in a lawn, slugs in your garden, or jumping worms in your leaf litter? Skunks can help you with that. If you have a rodent population (like moles, voles, or rats) needing suppression, don’t use poison bait which can harm scavengers and predators like hawks and owls, who are also busy feeding babies this time of year.
Female frogs use water bodies of various sizes to lay eggs, from a near-puddle to a pond, and the tadpoles are fun to watch grow up. A water feature can appeal to lots of wildlife if you have room for one. Include a shallow end to the pool, or a ladder of sorts, so it’s easier for adults to emerge.
The more diverse we can make our landscapes, the more wildlife parents we can support and welcome into our outdoor rooms and growing spaces.
University of Maryland Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center offers free gardening and pest information at extension.umd.edu/hgic. Click “Ask Extension” to send questions and photos.
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