June 22nd

Friday, June 22nd, 2018

When you have company, it makes work more tolerable.

Paul and I spent most of the day in the pumpkin field today, weeding. Paul started with our garden tiller to get closer to the pumpkin plants than our seven foot tiller can, while I hoed and hand pulled weeds between the plants.

Three acres of pumpkins to weed.

We didn’t get to all of our rows, but the ones we did finish look great!

While we were weeding, I kept noticing these black and yellow striped caterpillars. I didn’t really think much about it (there are many bugs in the field, what’s one more?), until I noticed one on almost every other pumpkin plant.

I looked up what they were, and they’re Monarch caterpillars! I’m hoping they don’t want to eat our pumpkin plants; none had any marks like they were being fed on.

I was excited to see so many pollinators! We have lots of milkweed around our field, so I’m hoping there’s enough to support cocoon building for as many caterpillars as I saw.

A fun find, that’s for sure!