A Day Of Critter Sightings

The other day I couldn't help but notice all the critters that had come out after all the rains. Like the slugs. Although there are many different species of slugs, many of them come out after the rains.

Then there's the millipedes. We see these quite often. Did you know that an adult millipede can be up to 10 in. long? They have a lifespan of about 7-10 years pending unexpected death by humans. They actually only have 100-400 legs. Still quite a lot for moving around so slowly.
Then I spotted a ladybug perched on my coriander (or also known as cilantro in the states). I found some interesting ladybug facts here. Ladybugs are excellent for your garden as they feed on unwanted pests such as aphids. You can attract ladybugs to your garden by planting things they are attracted to. The most popular plants have umbrella shaped flowers such as fennel, dill, cilantro, caraway, angelica, tansy, wild carrot & yarrow. Other plants that attract ladybugs include cosmos (especially the white ones), coreopsis, scented geraniums, and dandelions. Be careful not to spray insecticides as they are very sensitive to them, and if most of their food source is gone, they won't lay eggs in your garden.