It’s a pleasant feeling when you see beneficial insects hanging out in the garden. I have been noticing this paper wasp in the corn & bean rows, and what I believe is a nest high up in a chinese elm tree on the property. The nest looks to be built of mud(vs paper), although I haven’t witnessed where this particular wasp goes when it leaves. According to scientists, these wasps are able to recognize faces of other wasps, and apparently, of people also. They are also reported to pack a painful sting when they are provoked or the nest is threatened. This wasp has not bothered me at all, and is actually quite camera shy, and moved each time I was setup to take a picture.

Paper Wasp

The recent monsoon rain seems to have brought quite a few frogs into the field. Frogs eat their share of insects, and with reports of grasshoppers infesting fields north of here, the frogs are very welcome to stay. So far, I have spotted a couple of large frogs, somewhere around 3-4 inches in diameter; I have also seen a hand full of young frogs, as you maybe able to see below?

Do you see a frog in this picture?

I will take the advice of the elders in Corrales – legend says that growing early season(early may or before) corn will have more issues with disease and bugs, than corn that is planted later in the season (late July). My blue corn was planted May 12th and the “hairs” coming out of the cobs have dried now, and the ears look ready. The worms seem to have won this match, but I will now have plenty of seeds for next year to plant – I was able to salvage what is below, but there are still a few more ears left in the field that were not ready yet.

2015 Blue Corn