Bugs are a big part of my job.
Depending on how well and how long you’ve known me, that sentence might have you guffawing.
I’m not sure how I went from girl-who-freaks-out-when-she-sees-ants to bug-lover. But somehow, every Friday I find myself staring at these big sticky traps, counting the still-wriggling olive fruit flies, soldier beetles, leafhoppers, and other little beasties.
I also maintain a dozen little gardens at three vineyards. These insectaries are full of flowers and a diversity of plants, there to lure in pollinators and provide habitat for beneficial insects like lacewings and ladybugs. I love spending mornings weeding or planting in these spots that are bursting with life of all kinds — not just the plants and bugs, but hummingbirds darting between flowers and blue-bellied lizards doing pushups in the sunny spots.
