Say goodbye to hornets

The hornets and yellowjackets are cruising for their last snacks before the frost gets them. Yellowjackets have been particularly annoying, lately, buzzing around hair and exposed skin. If you stay calm while brushing them away, they seldom sting. They appear to be curious, more than aggressive, perhaps they want to taste the perspiration on skin, […]

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Stingers

This time of year Oregon buzzes with yellow jackets, paper wasps, and hornets. Yellowjackets nest in the ground in large hives with multiple openings, and they are very aggressive if a person happens to enter their space. Hornets can also be aggressive, but usually nest up high, where we are unlikely to bother them. Paper […]

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New CoHousing Neighbors

Somewhere in the wilds of a South Corvallis neighborhood (two to three blocks from CoHo, as the heron flies) exists a cohousing community consisting of Great Blue Herons. Last summer, as Austin was walking home from downtown, he encountered a geezer who was gazing into a variety of tall evergreens in his yard and remarking […]

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Sightings at CoHo – Vegetable Eaters

While playing in the sandbox, some rustling in the woods got our attention. Then this couple appeared, and we all watched each other. As unique as it was to spot some deer, they do love vegetables and we’d prefer they not eat our food! The doe eventually trotted down the path, then the young buck […]

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Even Snails on the Path Do It!

On first glance, this cluster of snails on the path appeared to be having a meeting, convention, or a very quiet party.  However, on closer look, they were connected in pairs, making it more of a snail orgy.  My duty as a gardener probably should have been to destroy the enemy of plants, but some […]

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It’s Turkey Vulture Mating Season at CoHo!

On April 1st, while working outside and talking with a friend, I noticed two turkey vultures, wings outstretched and sunning themselves with their backs to us.  They were perched atop a snag by the garages.  As there were two, Deb wondered if they might be a pair.  I expounded on how generally unfriendly they often […]

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Sightings at CoHo – Praying Mantis

We had a visitor hanging out around the mailboxes…a mantis. Looks like an African Mantis. They are supposed to like temperate and tropical climates, so either Oregon has some nice weather in mid-September or we’re experiencing abnormal climate here (what do you think about climate change?).   Not sure if this is a male or […]

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Two Monarch Butterflies Released

Our pet Monarchs have finally turned into butterflies after being in cocoons for about two weeks. We tried to keep an eye on them during the process of coming out of their cocoons, but only saw them right after hatching. The first one came out on August 9th, where the other guy was still sleeping. […]

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Sightings at CoHo – Blue Cricket

Last month we found a purple longhorn beetle. Today a blue cricket was spotted. Unfortunately it was our latest victim of the painting going on at CoHo where blue is the current color being sprayed. But fortunately, this guy found good hands and had some of the paint scraped from its wings. Hopefully it’ll enjoy […]

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The Monarchs Have Cocooned

The newest CoHo pets have cocooned! One Monarch cocooned a few days ago, and the other shortly after that. They must be social creatures, because they cocooned right next to each other. We only have pics before and after the cocooning process, but thanks to the world wide web you can view a time-lapse of […]

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