#florida harvester ant

[apsciencebydan]

Florida harvester ant major, walking softly and carrying a big... head. These ants pack a hell of a bite and sting, but seem to be a quite peaceful species and I feel I'd have to really disturb them to get them angry. They're common in the sand down here, but always a welcome sight.

[entomologize]

Somehow, in all my years of being a bug nerd, I never came across Dr. Walter Tschinkel's amazing ant nest casts. Look at this Florida harvester ant nest! It's huge! With spiral staircases!

[brookston]

Holidays 9.10

Holidays

Alexandra Asteroid Day

Alpaca Day

Amerindian Heritage Day (Guyana)

Blame It On the Large Hadron Collider Day

Children’s Day (Honduras)

Crayfish Day (French Republic)

Dia del Nino (Children’s Day; Honduras)

Festival of the Poets (Japan)

Godsall Day (Day of Rest in Southern Outer Tibet)

Grandparents’ & Family Caregivers’ Day (Florida)

Harvest Home Nibbling Contest (Gremlins)

Heritage Open Days begin (UK)

International Creepy Boston Dynamics Robotic Horse Day

International Gynaecological Awareness Day

International Make-Up Day

National Acid Attack Awareness Day (Nepal)

National American Indian/Alaska Native Hope for Life Day

National Anti-Junk Light Day

National Day (Gibraltar)

National Mamablogger Day (Netherlands)

National Sewerage Day (Japan)

National Stick a Fork Up Your Nose Day

910 Day

Old-Timers Day

Pandora Asteroid Day

Puyallup Fair begins (Washington)

St. George’s Caye Day (Belize)

Scape-Goat Day

Sew Be It Day (a.k.a. Sewing Machine Day)

Shower of Fish Day

Stop Junk Light Day

Swap Ideas Day

Take Goofy Pictures Day

Teacher's Day (China)

Top Up Day

White Balloon Day

World Suicide Prevention Day (UN)

X-Files Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Buy a Regular Drink Day

Caramel Cheesecake Day

International Canned Cocktail Day

International Port Day

International Vegan Butterbeeer Day

National Hot Dog Day [also 3.30 & mid-July]

National TV Dinner Day

Independence & Related Days

Gibraltar National Day (Referendum of 1967)

Juclandia (Declared; 2001) [unrecognized]

Schwanensee (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

2nd Tuesday in September

Firearm Suicide Prevention Day [2nd Tuesday]

National Ants on a Log Day [2nd Tuesday]

Table Tennis Tuesday [2nd Tuesday of Each Month]

Taco Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Target Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tater Tot Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tomato Tuesday [2nd Tuesday of Each Month]

Trivia Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Two For Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 10 (2nd Full Week of September)

National Suicide Prevention Week (thru 9.16) [Week of 9.10]

Festivals Beginning September 10, 2024

Harvest Music Festival (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada) [thru 9.15]

Husker Harvest Days (Grand Island, Nebraska) [thru 9.12]

National Heirloom Exposition (Ventura, California) [thru 9.12]

Patrick County Agricultural Fair (Stuart, Virginia) [thru 9.14]

Potato Bowl USA (Grand Forks, North Dakota) [thru 9.14]

Feast Days

Albatross Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Alexander Crummell (Episcopal Church)

Aubert (Christian; Saint)

Beryl Cook (Artology)

Beaverinne (Muppetism)

Carl Van Doren (Writerism)

Chico Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Chuseok (Korean Harvest Festival) [15th Day of 8th Lunar Moon]

Edmund James Peck (Anglican Church of Canada)

Finian of Moville (a.k.a. Winin; Christian; Saint)

Ganesh Chaturthi (Hinduism)

Georgia Douglas Johnson (Writerism)

Harvest Home Nibbling Contest (Gremlins; Shamanism)

Incense to Bring Clarity of Mind Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Israel Abramofsky (Artology)

Karma Puja (Jharkhand, India)

Lope de Vega (Positivist; Saint)

Lorenzo Homar (Artology)

Marian Keyes (Writerism)

Marianne von Werefkin (Artology)

Mary Oliver (Writerism)

Media Aestas VIII (Pagan)

Nemesianus, Felix, Lucius, another Felix, Litteus, Polianus, Victor, Jader, and Dativus, Bishops and their companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Nicholas of Tolentino (Christian; Saint)

Pulcheria (Christian; Saint)

Salvius, Bishop of Albi (Christian; Saint)

Theodard of Maastricht (Christian; Saint)

Thomas Tsugi, Charles Spinola, and Great Martyrs of Nagasaki (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fatal Day (Pagan) [18 of 24]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [23 of 30]

Premieres

Blue of Noon, by Georges Bataille (Novel; 1935)

Bullwinkle Takes the Wheel or The Bum Steer (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 212; 1963)

Brand New Day (a.k.a. Bran New Day; Film; 2010)

Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastu, by Osamu Tezuka (Graphic Novel; 1972)

Cracked Ice (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

Dollars and Sense (Money Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1994)

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (TV Series; 1990)

Gunsmoke (TV Show; 1955)

Hellraiser (Film; 1987)

It’s Garry Shandling’s Show (TV Series’ 1986)

Good Old Boys, by Randy Newman (Album; 1974)

The Joy Luck Club (Film; 1993)

King Neptune (Disney Cartoon; 1932)

The Lone Ranger (Animated Filmation TV Series; 1966)

My Little Pony (Animated TV Series; 2010)

Nightmare Alley,by William Lindsay Gresham (Novel; 1946)

The Orville (TV Series; 2017)

Our Song, by Taylor Swift (Song; 2007)

Pluto’s Fledgling (Disney Cartoon; 1948)

The Saint’s Getaway, by Leslie Charteris (Novel; 1933) [Saint #10]

Scooby-Doo! And the Spooky Scarecrow (WB Animated Film; 2013)

Smells Like Teen Spirit, by Nirvana (Song; 1991)

Southern Rhythm (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1932)

The Spirit of Seventy Sex (Adult Film; 1976)

Symphony No. 2, by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (Single Movement Symphony; 1950)

Test for Echo, by Rush (Album; 1996)

Thunderstruck, by AC/DC (Song; 1990)

The Tick (Animated TV Series; 1994)

Topsy Turvy or Emit Yvrut Yspot (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 211; 1963)

True Romance (Film; 1993)

2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke (Novel; 1968)

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talking’ About Him?) (Documentary Film; 2010)

The X-Files (TV Series; 1993)

You’re Too Careless with Your Kisses! (WB MM Cartoon; 1932)

Today’s Name Days

Carlo, Diethard, Isabella, Nikolaus (Austria)

Izabela, Nikola, Sebastijan (Croatia)

Irma (Czech Republic)

Buchardt (Denmark)

Lembe, Lembi, Lemme, Lemmi (Estonia)

Kaleva, Kalevi (Finland)

Inès (France)

Carlo, Diethard, Isabella, Niels (Germany)

Ersatz, Erastos, Kilmentini, Klimis, Minodora, Mitrodora, Nymfodora, Poulcgeria (Greece)

Hunor, Nikolett (Hungary)

Nicola (Italy)

Albertīne, Jausma (Latvia)

Girmintė, Konstancija, Kostė, Mikalojus, Tautgirdas (Lithuania)

Tor, Tord (Norway)

Aldona, Łukasz, Mikołaj, Mścibor, Pulcheria (Poland)

Oleg (Slovakia)

Nicolás (Spain)

Tord, Turid (Sweden)

Anabel, Annabel, Annabella, Annabelle, Arnie, Arnold, Arnolda, Arnoldo, Porter, Pulcheria (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 254 of 2024; 112 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of Week 37 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 8 (Ding-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 7 Elul 5784

Islamic: 6 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 14 Gold; Sevenday [14 of 30]

Julian: 28 August 2024

Moon: 50%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 2 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Guillem de Castro]

Runic Half Month: Ken (Illumination) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 83 of 94)

Week: 2nd Full Week of September

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 20 of 32)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 9.10

Holidays

Alexandra Asteroid Day

Alpaca Day

Amerindian Heritage Day (Guyana)

Blame It On the Large Hadron Collider Day

Children’s Day (Honduras)

Crayfish Day (French Republic)

Dia del Nino (Children’s Day; Honduras)

Festival of the Poets (Japan)

Godsall Day (Day of Rest in Southern Outer Tibet)

Grandparents’ & Family Caregivers’ Day (Florida)

Harvest Home Nibbling Contest (Gremlins)

Heritage Open Days begin (UK)

International Creepy Boston Dynamics Robotic Horse Day

International Gynaecological Awareness Day

International Make-Up Day

National Acid Attack Awareness Day (Nepal)

National American Indian/Alaska Native Hope for Life Day

National Anti-Junk Light Day

National Day (Gibraltar)

National Mamablogger Day (Netherlands)

National Sewerage Day (Japan)

National Stick a Fork Up Your Nose Day

910 Day

Old-Timers Day

Pandora Asteroid Day

Puyallup Fair begins (Washington)

St. George’s Caye Day (Belize)

Scape-Goat Day

Sew Be It Day (a.k.a. Sewing Machine Day)

Shower of Fish Day

Stop Junk Light Day

Swap Ideas Day

Take Goofy Pictures Day

Teacher's Day (China)

Top Up Day

White Balloon Day

World Suicide Prevention Day (UN)

X-Files Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Buy a Regular Drink Day

Caramel Cheesecake Day

International Canned Cocktail Day

International Port Day

International Vegan Butterbeeer Day

National Hot Dog Day [also 3.30 & mid-July]

National TV Dinner Day

Independence & Related Days

Gibraltar National Day (Referendum of 1967)

Juclandia (Declared; 2001) [unrecognized]

Schwanensee (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

2nd Tuesday in September

Firearm Suicide Prevention Day [2nd Tuesday]

National Ants on a Log Day [2nd Tuesday]

Table Tennis Tuesday [2nd Tuesday of Each Month]

Taco Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Target Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tater Tot Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tomato Tuesday [2nd Tuesday of Each Month]

Trivia Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Two For Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 10 (2nd Full Week of September)

National Suicide Prevention Week (thru 9.16) [Week of 9.10]

Festivals Beginning September 10, 2024

Harvest Music Festival (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada) [thru 9.15]

Husker Harvest Days (Grand Island, Nebraska) [thru 9.12]

National Heirloom Exposition (Ventura, California) [thru 9.12]

Patrick County Agricultural Fair (Stuart, Virginia) [thru 9.14]

Potato Bowl USA (Grand Forks, North Dakota) [thru 9.14]

Feast Days

Albatross Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Alexander Crummell (Episcopal Church)

Aubert (Christian; Saint)

Beryl Cook (Artology)

Beaverinne (Muppetism)

Carl Van Doren (Writerism)

Chico Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Chuseok (Korean Harvest Festival) [15th Day of 8th Lunar Moon]

Edmund James Peck (Anglican Church of Canada)

Finian of Moville (a.k.a. Winin; Christian; Saint)

Ganesh Chaturthi (Hinduism)

Georgia Douglas Johnson (Writerism)

Harvest Home Nibbling Contest (Gremlins; Shamanism)

Incense to Bring Clarity of Mind Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Israel Abramofsky (Artology)

Karma Puja (Jharkhand, India)

Lope de Vega (Positivist; Saint)

Lorenzo Homar (Artology)

Marian Keyes (Writerism)

Marianne von Werefkin (Artology)

Mary Oliver (Writerism)

Media Aestas VIII (Pagan)

Nemesianus, Felix, Lucius, another Felix, Litteus, Polianus, Victor, Jader, and Dativus, Bishops and their companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Nicholas of Tolentino (Christian; Saint)

Pulcheria (Christian; Saint)

Salvius, Bishop of Albi (Christian; Saint)

Theodard of Maastricht (Christian; Saint)

Thomas Tsugi, Charles Spinola, and Great Martyrs of Nagasaki (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fatal Day (Pagan) [18 of 24]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [23 of 30]

Premieres

Blue of Noon, by Georges Bataille (Novel; 1935)

Bullwinkle Takes the Wheel or The Bum Steer (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 212; 1963)

Brand New Day (a.k.a. Bran New Day; Film; 2010)

Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastu, by Osamu Tezuka (Graphic Novel; 1972)

Cracked Ice (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

Dollars and Sense (Money Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1994)

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (TV Series; 1990)

Gunsmoke (TV Show; 1955)

Hellraiser (Film; 1987)

It’s Garry Shandling’s Show (TV Series’ 1986)

Good Old Boys, by Randy Newman (Album; 1974)

The Joy Luck Club (Film; 1993)

King Neptune (Disney Cartoon; 1932)

The Lone Ranger (Animated Filmation TV Series; 1966)

My Little Pony (Animated TV Series; 2010)

Nightmare Alley,by William Lindsay Gresham (Novel; 1946)

The Orville (TV Series; 2017)

Our Song, by Taylor Swift (Song; 2007)

Pluto’s Fledgling (Disney Cartoon; 1948)

The Saint’s Getaway, by Leslie Charteris (Novel; 1933) [Saint #10]

Scooby-Doo! And the Spooky Scarecrow (WB Animated Film; 2013)

Smells Like Teen Spirit, by Nirvana (Song; 1991)

Southern Rhythm (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1932)

The Spirit of Seventy Sex (Adult Film; 1976)

Symphony No. 2, by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (Single Movement Symphony; 1950)

Test for Echo, by Rush (Album; 1996)

Thunderstruck, by AC/DC (Song; 1990)

The Tick (Animated TV Series; 1994)

Topsy Turvy or Emit Yvrut Yspot (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 211; 1963)

True Romance (Film; 1993)

2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke (Novel; 1968)

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talking’ About Him?) (Documentary Film; 2010)

The X-Files (TV Series; 1993)

You’re Too Careless with Your Kisses! (WB MM Cartoon; 1932)

Today’s Name Days

Carlo, Diethard, Isabella, Nikolaus (Austria)

Izabela, Nikola, Sebastijan (Croatia)

Irma (Czech Republic)

Buchardt (Denmark)

Lembe, Lembi, Lemme, Lemmi (Estonia)

Kaleva, Kalevi (Finland)

Inès (France)

Carlo, Diethard, Isabella, Niels (Germany)

Ersatz, Erastos, Kilmentini, Klimis, Minodora, Mitrodora, Nymfodora, Poulcgeria (Greece)

Hunor, Nikolett (Hungary)

Nicola (Italy)

Albertīne, Jausma (Latvia)

Girmintė, Konstancija, Kostė, Mikalojus, Tautgirdas (Lithuania)

Tor, Tord (Norway)

Aldona, Łukasz, Mikołaj, Mścibor, Pulcheria (Poland)

Oleg (Slovakia)

Nicolás (Spain)

Tord, Turid (Sweden)

Anabel, Annabel, Annabella, Annabelle, Arnie, Arnold, Arnolda, Arnoldo, Porter, Pulcheria (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 254 of 2024; 112 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of Week 37 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 8 (Ding-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 7 Elul 5784

Islamic: 6 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 14 Gold; Sevenday [14 of 30]

Julian: 28 August 2024

Moon: 50%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 2 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Guillem de Castro]

Runic Half Month: Ken (Illumination) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 83 of 94)

Week: 2nd Full Week of September

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 20 of 32)

[platycryptus]

a team of florida harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex badius) carrying a yellowjacket corpse back to their nest (Florida, 4/25/22). Harvester ants feed mainly on seeds which are stored in large subterranean granaries, but won’t pass up the opportunity to scavenge insects as well.

Found in dry, sandy habitats along the southeastern coastal plain, P. badius is only Pogonomyrmex native to the region, the rest being found mainly in southwestern deserts. It’s also unique among its genus for its dimorphic worker castes- smaller, more agile minor workers and larger majors with huge heads and jaws for crushing seeds and dismembering enemies.

Pogonomyrmex workers also have the most toxic venom known from any insect (or at least, the most toxic to mammals). They have an extremely painful sting to match, though it’s not as bad as some larger insects that inject a greater quantity of less toxic venom.

[greyphitus]

Florida harvester ant video 2

[herbwicc]

American Beauty Berry

Connecting to the seasons as a green witch here in South Florida means you need to be extra attentive and connected, our changes are subtle (if not invisible) to most, but if you know where to look then you will find they're quite loud and exciting! And connecting to seasonal changes such as the Wheel of the Year will be SO much easier and more personal!

Here's the plant to which I've been practicing a connection this harvest season: American Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana).

It'll flower in spring and summer, but by September/Fall you'll get these vibrant berries! The leaves also change color. Besides these pictures, you'll also be able to 100% recognize this berry by the smell. Crush one and sniff, it smells like strong perfume! A sort of floral-acidic smell that I looove.

Beauty Berry is unique and easy to identify. It can cause stomachache if eaten raw, so please don't (it doesn't taste good raw anyway, mealy and either tasteless or medicine-tasting).

Instead, it's often made into jam/jelly, sauce/syrup for glazing desserts, vinaigrette, and wine. When cooked in these ways, the taste is kind of like raspberry-elderberry-citrus!

Other historical uses: Leaves and branches were used to treat malarial fevers and rheumatism. The roots were used to treat dizziness, stomachaches and dysentery. Roots and berries were boiled and made into a drink to treat colic. Crushed leaves were rubbed on skin and placed under horse harnesses to repel mosquitoes. There are three chemicals in the leaves scientists are trying to replicate for mosquito repellent, claiming that it might be stronger than deet- callicarpenal is one of them, and it can repel fire ants and tics.

I made wonderful autumn beauty berry strudels for Mabon, they were so amazing!!

(I'll be creating a few posts with Florida witches in mind, showing our subtle changes in flora and fauna and where one could apply them to the wheel of the year, to help other Florida witches connect to our seasons. If you're interested, check out the tag #Florida Seasons, which I'll be using for future posts!)

[continent-of-wild-endeavor]

Garden Log 5/5/20

I finally planted the potatoes today. There are some coming up in the compost bin, and they look so nice I knew I was behind schedule!

Also planted sweet potatoes, which are right on time. There’s still 1/3 of the potato bed left. More sweet potatoes, maybe? I do have the ones sprouting in the windowsill. I should get them in dirt soon.

I pulled the bolting, scraggly spinach in the close end of the oldest/rightmost bed. Also harvested some mature spinach from the nicer plants, and made creamed spinach with dinner - Yum. Oregano, thyme, dill, and tarragon are already in there, so I added 6 basil plants, and 4 parsley along the edge. Not enough space there now for a mature parsley plant, but there will be once the peas come out.

Peas are all flowering away! I didn’t trellis them at all, but they seem to stand up all right on their own. I haven’t grown these before, so I don’t know what to expect, but I’m looking forward to a harvest. They’re certainly growing leaves well.

Need tomato cages/stakes. I never do this on time, but maybe 2020 is the year I support my tomatoes properly? Not sure what I’ll use. Cages are good but too expensive (I’ll have 25+ plants once I get the ones I was given this weekend planted!). Strawberry boss uses rebar, one per plant, and ties them up every 10 days or so with biodegradable twine, so he doesn’t have to worry about where it ends up. I’d also considered Florida weave. Currently four of the bigger plants have cages, because I already had 4 cages, and none of the others have anything.

I put chard in the lettuce bed today, just little bitty plants filling some gaps where the chickens messed up the lettuce seed. They’ll get big about when the lettuce needs to come out, I think. And added collards to the gaps in the middle bed, where the first planting of collards/tomatoes didn’t take. Hopefully these will do better.

The ants failed to die off in the fire, so I still need to deal with them. I’m not sure what I’ll do - poison? Try the sugar-based methods? I don’t think I can just work around fire ants in my garden forever.

[stingaers]

╰ ﾟ  HALEY LU RICHARDSON. CISFEMALE. CASSANDRA LANG, known as STINGER to some, has been at nox for EIGHT MONTHS. she has come all the way from MIAMI, FLORIDA and has worked with THE YOUNG AVENGERS and ANT-MAN. people in nox say the TWENTY year old are WILFUL and TEMPERAMENTAL but those who know them well, say they are also QUICK-WITTED and COMPASSIONATE. hopefully they find what they’re looking for. :: ⌞ cisco. 18+. gmt. they/them. ⌝

name. cassandra eleanor ‘cassie’ lang. alias. stinger, formerly known as stature. age: twenty years old. zodiac. cancer. gender. cis female. pronouns. she / her. species. human mutated by pym particles.

powers. cassie possesses the power to reduce herself to the size of an ant, approximately one-half inch in height and increased size to gigantic heights. the exact limits of cassie's abilities were not initially determined, but it was later established that she can grow to around 250 feet in height ( even though she is not able to keep such a size for long before the strain forces her to shrink back down ). her strength level is somewhere between 25 tons and 75 tons.

abilities.  she has above - average combat skills from taking self - defense classes, because of how many times she was kidnapped as a child. she has also been trained by a handful of heroes. on top of that, she has also received militaristic strategies and training. upon her transformation into ‘stinger’, she was given an upgraded suit made with the same unstable molecules like that of her previous one, however her new suit came with bio - synthetic wings that would allow her to fly.

hello hello !  my version of cassie is based primarily on the young avengers and astonishing ant - man comics. a lot happens ! you don’t need to know everything, but i’ll go over some of the basics !

in short, cassie is the daughter of scott lang, the second ant - man. she was born with a heart defect.she grew up adoring her father ( but that’s a given, if you know anything about cassie at all ).

she had been intentionally exposing herself to pym particles at a young age with the hopes of becoming a hero like her father, unbeknownst to scott and all those around them. the effects of the pym particles laid dormant until a 15 year old cassie sought out to join a group of teens that would later take on the name of the young avengers. when denied, cassie grew at an alarmingly fast rate. after that, the rest is history.

she fought alongside the young avengers until her demise in the children’s crusade. but she was later resurrected, though she was suspended of any superhero activities by her mother, and shortly after they moved to miami.

unfortunately, she was kidnapped with the intention of harvesting her heart to use the pym particles for ulterior motives, which was successful on the perpetrators part. thankfully, she was saved in enough time to allow her body to accept a new heart.

and it did. the truth behind her sudden health issues were kept a secret to her until cassie signed up to work for the power broker with the intention of breaking up his operation from the inside ( and to regain her old powers back ). he did as promised, and cassie took up the stinger moniker.

a lot happened over the course of the comics, but it ended with cassie’s mother finally accepting the good influence scott has on his daughter. they ended up teaming as ant - man and stinger.

her move to nox wasn’t an easy decision to make, but it was something cassie was eager to do. she’s hopeful that she might learn something new about herself, or push her capabilities further and explore what she hasn’t before. she wants to be the best she can be, and something tells her that a place in nox might just get her there.

[leafened]

I love florida so much. Summer... 🤤

Other outdoor things i wanna do:

harvest ant eggs

make cattail pollen candy

[livingcorner]

Whiteflies

How to Identify and Get Rid of Whiteflies on Plants

You're reading: Whiteflies

D. Kucharski, K. Kucharska/Shutterstock

Noticing tiny, white, fly-like insects on your plants? You may be dealing with a whitefly infestation. Here are tips on how to identify, control, and get rid of whiteflies!

What Are Whiteflies?

Whiteflies are soft-bodied, winged insects closely related to aphids and mealybugs. Despite their name, whiteflies are not a type of fly, though they do have wings and are capable of flying.

Whiteflies can be as small as 1/12 of an inch, are somewhat triangular in shape, and are often found in clusters on the undersides of leaves. They are active during the day and will scatter when disturbed, so they can be easier to spot than some nocturnal insect pests.

Read more: How to Water Outdoor Plants While on Vacation

There are hundreds of species of whiteflies, but most affect only a small number of host plants. However, there are a few whitefly species that affect a wider range of plants, which make them the most problematic in horticulture. These whitefly species include the greenhouse whitefly, bandedwinged whitefly, giant whitefly, and silverleaf whitefly, among others. Silverleaf whiteflies, which are slightly smaller and more yellow than other whiteflies, are especially common in the southern United States. 

Where Are Whiteflies Found?

In USDA Zone 7 and colder, whiteflies are not able to survive winter outdoors, so their presence tends to be limited to indoor plants or greenhouse environments. However, if outdoors plants are bought from an infested greenhouse, whiteflies may become a seasonal outdoor garden pest. (Always inspect plants before bringing them home!) 

In warmer regions, whiteflies are capable of overwintering and reproducing outdoors throughout the year, so they can be a problem for both indoor and outdoor plants.

You’ll often start to see whiteflies in mid- to late-summer when it gets warm and humid.

Which Plants Are Susceptible to Whiteflies?

Whiteflies can be found on a wide variety of plants, from ornamental flowers to warm-weather vegetables, including tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and okra. Some species may attack sweet potatoes, plants from the cabbage family, and citrus trees. Indoors, they will feed on most common houseplants, especially those with soft, smooth leaves.

Identification

How to Identify Whiteflies

Like aphids, whiteflies use their piercing mouthparts to suck up plant juices and, in turn, produce a sticky substance known as honeydew. Honeydew left on its own can cause fungal diseases such as sooty mold to form on leaves.

With heavy whitefly feeding, plants will quickly become extremely weak and may be unable to carry out photosynthesis. Leaves will wilt, turn pale or yellow, growth will be stunted, and eventually leaves may shrivel and drop off the plant. 

Honeydew is a sign that the whiteflies have been feeding for several days. You might also see ants, which are attracted to the sweet honeydew. 

Read more: The Many Benefits of Community Gardens

Where to Find Whiteflies on Plants

Whiteflies tend to prefer to feed on new growth, so check around any newly unfurled leaves first.

Check the undersides of leaves—especially around the veins—for white insects, even if they aren’t immediately visible, and feel leaf surfaces for sticky honeydew. If the whiteflies are feeding, they’ll suddenly all fly off the leaves in a swarm, so it’s very obvious.

You may also find eggs laid on the undersides of leaves. This is the beginning of a new generation! When the eggs hatch, the larvae will look like teeny white ovals without legs; they don’t move but they immediately start sucking the plant juice. This is why gardeners often miss whiteflies until it’s too late. Adult females can produce up to 400 eggs, which hatch in about one week to a month after laying. They are usually laid in a circular pattern. Eggs are pale yellow when newly laid and brown when about to hatch.

Whiteflies congregate on the undersides of leaves and lay their tiny white eggs in this secure spot. Photo Credit: University of Florida.

Control and Prevention

How to Get Rid of Whiteflies

To control whiteflies, there are various solutions and traps that you can use. The biggest tip is: start early! In the mornings and evenings, as you wander the garden or tend to your houseplants, check the back of the leaves for eggs or notice when little bugs “fly away” as you approach your plants.

Always start with blasting whiteflies (as with aphids and many other insect pests) with your watering hose or a spray bottle. This will cause them to scatter and will dislodge nymphs and eggs to some extent.

Consider spraying your plants’ leaves with an insecticidal soap, following the directions on the packaging. Be sure to spray the undersides of leaves, too. Follow up 2 or 3 times, as necessary. 

Tip: Spray plants in the evening when temperatures are cooler, as mid-day heat may cause an adverse reaction in your plant. Plus, spraying in the evening allows you to avoid accidentally spraying any pollinators or beneficial insects.

According to the National Gardening Association, the following simple homemade mixture should be helpful to control and deter whiteflies: Use a mix of dish soap and water. A good squirt of soap to a gallon of water should work. As mentioned above, only spray in cooler temperatures; late in the day is best. The NGA mixture is a pretty benign combination, and whiteflies are nearly impossible to get rid of, so it’s best to try more preventative tactics first, as mentioned below.

If all else fails and your whitefly population is persistent, you can (carefully) use a handheld vacuum every few days to remove them from your plants. This gets rid of both nymphs and adults. Just be sure NOT to empty your vacuum into a trash can inside your home afterward!

How to Prevent Whiteflies

Your first line of defense should be inspecting all plants for pests before you bring them home, as well as keeping any new additions away from the rest of your plants for a period of time. This will allow you to identify and curtail any pest or disease issues that appear.

Keeping natural predators around will prevent whiteflies from ever exploding in population. For this reason, avoid using insecticides. Ladybugs, spiders, green lacewing larvae, and dragonflies are a few of many beneficial insects that can control a whitefly population. Hummingbirds are another natural predator. Try creating a habitat that will attract dragonflies and damselflies (which also helpfully eat mosquitoes) or beautiful hummingbirds.

When it comes to whiteflies, avoid chemical insecticides; they’re usually resistant and all you end up doing is killing the beneficial insects—their natural predators—and the insects that pollinate the garden for a better harvest!

Mulch early in the season with aluminum reflective mulch, especially around tomatoes and peppers. The reflective mulch makes it challenging for whiteflies to find their preferred host plants. 

Set out yellow index cards coated with petroleum jelly to monitor whiteflies, especially when it comes to tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, or cabbage crops. A half-and-half mixture of petroleum jelly and dish soap, spread over small boards painted bright yellow, is sticky enough to catch little whiteflies, too. To whiteflies, the color yellow looks like a mass of new foliage. The bugs are attracted to the cards, get stuck in the jelly, and die.

What do you want to read next?

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/whiteflies/

[brookston]

Holidays 2.16

Holidays

Akiyoshidai Yamayaki (Japan)

Archbishop Janani Luwum Memorial Day (Uganda)

Bir Chilarai Divas (Assam, India)

Bumper Car Day

Cheque Day

Citizenship Day (Canada)

Cyclamen Day (French Republic)

Day of the Shining Star (North Korea)

Do A Grouch A Favor Day

Elizabeth Peratrovich Day (Alaska)

First 911 Call Day

Gator Nation Giving Day (Florida)

Gold Standard Day

Harvey the Hound Day (Canada)

Heart’s Day (Elder Scrolls)

IEEE Foundation Day

Innovation Day

International Black Aviation Day

International Jewish Day of Constructive Conflict

Kick Day

Kyoto Protocol Day

LOINC Day

Makha Bucha Day (Thailand)

National Buna Day (Ethiopia)

National No One Eats Alone Day

Nine-One-One Day

Restoration of Lithuania's Statehood Day

Tutankhamen’s Tomb Day

216 Day (Ohio)

Wear Purple for Kyoto Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Feast of Sticky Buns

International Syrah Day

National Almond Day

Tartar Sauce Day

Tim Tam Day (Australia)

3rd Friday in February

Care Day (UK) [3rd Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

Global Divestment Day (UK) [Friday of Go Green Week]

Heritage Day (Yukon Territory, Canada) [3rd Friday]

National Caregivers Day [3rd Friday]

National Woman’s Heart Day [3rd Friday]

World Porter Day [3rd Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 16

Girl Scout Cookie Weekend [thru 2.18]

National FFA Week [thru 2.24]

Independence & Related Days

Lithuania (from Russia & German Empire, 1918)

Sovereignty Day (Serbia)

Festivals Beginning February 16, 2024

Adelaide Fringe Festval Adelaide, South Australia) [thru 3.17]

Babcock Ranch Seafood & Music Festival (Punta Gorda, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Carnevale di Venezia (Venice, Italy) [thru 3.5]

Festival du Voyageur (Winnipeg, Canada) [thru 2.25]

Fiddler Crab Festival (Steinhatchee, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Great Backyard Bird Count [thru 2.19]

Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival (York, UK) [thru 2.18]

New Zealand Fringe Festival (Wellington, New Zealand) [thru 3.9]

Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (Capas, Philippines) [thru 2.18]

Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival (Indio, California) [thru 2.25]

WBCA Jalapeño Festival (Lardeo, Texas)

Wine & Chowder Trails (Florence, Oregon) [thru 2.18]

Feast Days

Abda of Edessa (Christian; Saint)

Armand Guillaumin (Artology)

Bonten Matsuri festival begins (Asking for Good Crops; Japan)

Charles Todd Quintard (Episcopal Church (USA))

Cremation Wednesday (Church of the SubGenius)

Devil’s Dance (Everyday Wicca)

Elias, Jeremy, Isaias, Samuel, and Daniel (Christian; Egyptian Martyrs)

Friday after Shrove Tuesday (Western Christianity) [44 Days before Easter (a.k.a. ... 

Friday Fish Fry Day (Midwest US)

National Tartar Sauce Day

Kissing Friday

Nippy Hug Day (Westmoreland, UK)

Gilbert of Sempringham (Christian; Saint)

Gregory X, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Guru Ravidas Jayanti (a.k.a. Magha Purinma; Parts of India)

Hash Wednesday (Church of the SubGenius)

Iace (a.k.a. Tatto) of Scotland (Christian; Saint)

Iain Bank (Writerism)

Juliana of Nicomedia (Catholic Church; Virgin & Martyr)

Juvenal (Positivist; Saint)

Kanō Eitoku (Artology)

Michelangelo Cerquozzi (Artology)

Onesimus (Christian; Saint)

Platypus Pondering Day (Pastafarian)

Respectable Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism) [5 Minutes]

Richard Ford (Writerism)

Secret Patience Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Three Good Deaths Day [Salmon, Pigs, Robbers] (Celtic Book of Days)

Vasant Panchami (a.k.a. Saraswati Puja; Celebrating harvest goddess Saraswati; Hindu)

Victoria — Nike’s Day (Pagan)

Warren Ellis (Writerism)

Zowie-Zown the Upside-Down Clown (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 47 [15 of 72]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Ants in Your Pantry (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1945)

Black Panther (Film; 2018)

The Bostonians, by Henry James (Novel; 1885)

Bridge to Tarabithia (Film; 2007)

Bringing Up Baby (Film; 1938)

Carousel (Film; 1956)

Cher (TV Series; 1975)

Down to Earth (Film; 2001)

The Duck Doctor (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1952)

Early Man (Animated Film; 2018)

Factory Girl (Film; 2007)

Fit to be Toyed (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1959)

Ghost Rider (Film; 2007)

Gift Wrapped (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

Happy Gilmore (Film; 1996)

Jersey Bounce, by Shep Fields and His Orchestra (Song; 1942)

Let’s You and Him Fight (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1934)

The Little Red Hen (Ub Iwerks Cartoon; 1934)

The Mad Hatter (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1948)

The Man Who Folded Himself, by David Gerrold (Novel; 1973)

Muppet Treasure Island (Film; 1996)

My Mom’s Having a Baby (DePatie-Freleng Animated TV Special; 1977)

The Saint and the Hapsburg Necklace, by Christopher Short (Novel; 1976) [Saint #46]

Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (WB Animated Film; 2010)

Sexual Politics, by Kate Millett (Political Theory; 1970)

Spanish Harlem, recorded by Aretha Franklin (Song; 1971)

Sweet November (Film; 2001)

Time Regained, by Marcel Proust (Novel; 1927)

The Venture Bros. (Animated TV Series; 2003)

Werther, by Jules Massenet (Opera; 1892)

When the Cat’s Away (Happy Harmonies Cartoon; 1935)

The Witches (Film; 1990)

Today’s Name Days

Adalbert, Juliana, Liane, Philippa (Austria)

Julijana, Miljenko, Samuel (Croatia)

Ljuba (Czech Republic)

Juliane (Denmark)

Alda, Aldi, Miralda, Miranda, Valda, Velda (Estonia)

Kai (Finland)

Julienne, Lucile, Onésime (France)

Juliana, Liane (Germany)

Pamfillie, Pamfillos, Sele (Greece)

Julianna, Lilla (Hungary)

Faustino, Giorgia, Giovita, Sigfrido (Italy)

Aloizs, Alvils, Olafs, Olavs, Ulafs (Latvia)

Girdenė, Girdenis, Jovita, Jurgita, Vytis (Lithuania)

Sigbjørn, Sigfred (Norway)

Faustyn, Georgia, Georgina, Jordan, Jowita, Józef, Klaudiusz, Przybyrad, Sewer (Poland)

Onisim (Romania)

Pravoslav (Slovakia)

Claudio, Faustino (Spain)

Sigfrid (Sweden)

Georgette, Georgia, Georgina, Jovan, Jovita, Siegfried, Sigrid, Sue, Susan, Susana, Susanna, Susie, Suzanne (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 47 of 2024; 319 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 7 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 27 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 7 ()

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 7 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 6 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 17 Grey; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 3 February 2024

Moon: 50%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 19 Homer (2nd Month) [Juvenal]

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 58 of 89)

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 26 of 28)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.16

Holidays

Akiyoshidai Yamayaki (Japan)

Archbishop Janani Luwum Memorial Day (Uganda)

Bir Chilarai Divas (Assam, India)

Bumper Car Day

Cheque Day

Citizenship Day (Canada)

Cyclamen Day (French Republic)

Day of the Shining Star (North Korea)

Do A Grouch A Favor Day

Elizabeth Peratrovich Day (Alaska)

First 911 Call Day

Gator Nation Giving Day (Florida)

Gold Standard Day

Harvey the Hound Day (Canada)

Heart’s Day (Elder Scrolls)

IEEE Foundation Day

Innovation Day

International Black Aviation Day

International Jewish Day of Constructive Conflict

Kick Day

Kyoto Protocol Day

LOINC Day

Makha Bucha Day (Thailand)

National Buna Day (Ethiopia)

National No One Eats Alone Day

Nine-One-One Day

Restoration of Lithuania's Statehood Day

Tutankhamen’s Tomb Day

216 Day (Ohio)

Wear Purple for Kyoto Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Feast of Sticky Buns

International Syrah Day

National Almond Day

Tartar Sauce Day

Tim Tam Day (Australia)

3rd Friday in February

Care Day (UK) [3rd Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

Global Divestment Day (UK) [Friday of Go Green Week]

Heritage Day (Yukon Territory, Canada) [3rd Friday]

National Caregivers Day [3rd Friday]

National Woman’s Heart Day [3rd Friday]

World Porter Day [3rd Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 16

Girl Scout Cookie Weekend [thru 2.18]

National FFA Week [thru 2.24]

Independence & Related Days

Lithuania (from Russia & German Empire, 1918)

Sovereignty Day (Serbia)

Festivals Beginning February 16, 2024

Adelaide Fringe Festval Adelaide, South Australia) [thru 3.17]

Babcock Ranch Seafood & Music Festival (Punta Gorda, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Carnevale di Venezia (Venice, Italy) [thru 3.5]

Festival du Voyageur (Winnipeg, Canada) [thru 2.25]

Fiddler Crab Festival (Steinhatchee, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Great Backyard Bird Count [thru 2.19]

Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival (York, UK) [thru 2.18]

New Zealand Fringe Festival (Wellington, New Zealand) [thru 3.9]

Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (Capas, Philippines) [thru 2.18]

Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival (Indio, California) [thru 2.25]

WBCA Jalapeño Festival (Lardeo, Texas)

Wine & Chowder Trails (Florence, Oregon) [thru 2.18]

Feast Days

Abda of Edessa (Christian; Saint)

Armand Guillaumin (Artology)

Bonten Matsuri festival begins (Asking for Good Crops; Japan)

Charles Todd Quintard (Episcopal Church (USA))

Cremation Wednesday (Church of the SubGenius)

Devil’s Dance (Everyday Wicca)

Elias, Jeremy, Isaias, Samuel, and Daniel (Christian; Egyptian Martyrs)

Friday after Shrove Tuesday (Western Christianity) [44 Days before Easter (a.k.a. ... 

Friday Fish Fry Day (Midwest US)

National Tartar Sauce Day

Kissing Friday

Nippy Hug Day (Westmoreland, UK)

Gilbert of Sempringham (Christian; Saint)

Gregory X, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Guru Ravidas Jayanti (a.k.a. Magha Purinma; Parts of India)

Hash Wednesday (Church of the SubGenius)

Iace (a.k.a. Tatto) of Scotland (Christian; Saint)

Iain Bank (Writerism)

Juliana of Nicomedia (Catholic Church; Virgin & Martyr)

Juvenal (Positivist; Saint)

Kanō Eitoku (Artology)

Michelangelo Cerquozzi (Artology)

Onesimus (Christian; Saint)

Platypus Pondering Day (Pastafarian)

Respectable Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism) [5 Minutes]

Richard Ford (Writerism)

Secret Patience Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Three Good Deaths Day [Salmon, Pigs, Robbers] (Celtic Book of Days)

Vasant Panchami (a.k.a. Saraswati Puja; Celebrating harvest goddess Saraswati; Hindu)

Victoria — Nike’s Day (Pagan)

Warren Ellis (Writerism)

Zowie-Zown the Upside-Down Clown (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 47 [15 of 72]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Ants in Your Pantry (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1945)

Black Panther (Film; 2018)

The Bostonians, by Henry James (Novel; 1885)

Bridge to Tarabithia (Film; 2007)

Bringing Up Baby (Film; 1938)

Carousel (Film; 1956)

Cher (TV Series; 1975)

Down to Earth (Film; 2001)

The Duck Doctor (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1952)

Early Man (Animated Film; 2018)

Factory Girl (Film; 2007)

Fit to be Toyed (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1959)

Ghost Rider (Film; 2007)

Gift Wrapped (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

Happy Gilmore (Film; 1996)

Jersey Bounce, by Shep Fields and His Orchestra (Song; 1942)

Let’s You and Him Fight (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1934)

The Little Red Hen (Ub Iwerks Cartoon; 1934)

The Mad Hatter (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1948)

The Man Who Folded Himself, by David Gerrold (Novel; 1973)

Muppet Treasure Island (Film; 1996)

My Mom’s Having a Baby (DePatie-Freleng Animated TV Special; 1977)

The Saint and the Hapsburg Necklace, by Christopher Short (Novel; 1976) [Saint #46]

Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (WB Animated Film; 2010)

Sexual Politics, by Kate Millett (Political Theory; 1970)

Spanish Harlem, recorded by Aretha Franklin (Song; 1971)

Sweet November (Film; 2001)

Time Regained, by Marcel Proust (Novel; 1927)

The Venture Bros. (Animated TV Series; 2003)

Werther, by Jules Massenet (Opera; 1892)

When the Cat’s Away (Happy Harmonies Cartoon; 1935)

The Witches (Film; 1990)

Today’s Name Days

Adalbert, Juliana, Liane, Philippa (Austria)

Julijana, Miljenko, Samuel (Croatia)

Ljuba (Czech Republic)

Juliane (Denmark)

Alda, Aldi, Miralda, Miranda, Valda, Velda (Estonia)

Kai (Finland)

Julienne, Lucile, Onésime (France)

Juliana, Liane (Germany)

Pamfillie, Pamfillos, Sele (Greece)

Julianna, Lilla (Hungary)

Faustino, Giorgia, Giovita, Sigfrido (Italy)

Aloizs, Alvils, Olafs, Olavs, Ulafs (Latvia)

Girdenė, Girdenis, Jovita, Jurgita, Vytis (Lithuania)

Sigbjørn, Sigfred (Norway)

Faustyn, Georgia, Georgina, Jordan, Jowita, Józef, Klaudiusz, Przybyrad, Sewer (Poland)

Onisim (Romania)

Pravoslav (Slovakia)

Claudio, Faustino (Spain)

Sigfrid (Sweden)

Georgette, Georgia, Georgina, Jovan, Jovita, Siegfried, Sigrid, Sue, Susan, Susana, Susanna, Susie, Suzanne (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 47 of 2024; 319 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 7 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 27 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 7 ()

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 7 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 6 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 17 Grey; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 3 February 2024

Moon: 50%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 19 Homer (2nd Month) [Juvenal]

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 58 of 89)

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 26 of 28)

[saltycharacters]

How potent is the venomous spirit eater's venom? Like what happens if they looks you with a spike?

In all fairness, it's not as strong as you might think. The venom won't kill a human- the only way it could is if the person was very weak and sickly already, to the point where their immune system can't fight it off. Or if they're very young- even teenagers will live and the only age it'd be able to kill is say, anyone younger than 10. And even then, they have a pretty good chance of survival. No, spirit eater venom manages to make the person double over in pain and unable to properly function for a few hours, so that they can either attack or run away, but is not intended to kill. Using the Schmidt's sting pain Index (actually used for insect bites and stings but Whatever) I think the venom would score a Florida Harvester ant amount of pain, or going even higher a Velvet Ant. The venom is meant to distract and immobilize, so it's still pretty bad. I'd also like to mention that the potency of the toxin actually varies from Spirit Eater to Spirit Eater. Especially among those who are a mix instead of 100% Venemous Spirit e., each individual can vary in intensity. They can also usually control the amount secreted through each spike, so that they can retract it as much as possible when they're in contact with someone they don't want to poison, which is actually part of an important survival tactic- Spirit Eaters activley cuddle with each other and they do it a lot more than we do, in fact cuddling is something they do with close and not so close friends and even strangers if they have to, because they have such difficulty surviving in the cold that they use this as a way of getting more heat. They especially need to have more heat at night, as it gets colder, so it's important for them to sleep in pairs or more. So it would be extremely unfortunate if a venemous spirit eater poisoned anyone they came into contact with whilst cuddling. (And last thing- all spirit eaters have more resistance to the venom than other animals/humans. And other venemous spirit e.s have complete immunity)

[pogueman]

Pogue's holiday picks: 8 cool, surprising tech gifts

The holiday season is the lifeblood of the tech industry. About 70% of U.S. consumers will buy tech stuff as gifts this holiday season, spending an average of $478 each, according to the Consumer Tech Association.

Most of that stuff is predictable: laptops, tablets, phones, Amazon (AMZN) Echos. OK, we get it.

But what if your lucky recipient already has that stuff, doesn’t want it, or doesn’t deserve an expenditure that big?

That’s where these more offbeat tech gift ideas come in. They join my earlier list of ideas for less expensive (but still surprising) gifts.

ConnectSense Smart Outlet $60

You’ve heard of the Internet of Things, right? It’s those gadgets that you can control with a phone app. You know—thermostats, light bulbs, door locks.

But if you get an Internet of Things outlet, you can control anything from your phone. Anything you plug in: lamp, heater, fan, radio, TV, Christmas lights, whatever.

There are lots of these “smart outlets.” But I’m a particular fan of the ConnectSense Smart Outlet ($60), because it’s compatible with Apple’s (AAPL) HomeKit. First, that means an incredibly easy setup: Open the ConnectSense app, point your phone’s camera at the sticker on the outlet, and boom—the device is recognized and configured.

You can control either outlet from an app, by voice, or from miles away.

HomeKit also means that you can turn the outlets on and off remotely, either from your phone’s Control Center (you don’t have to open some app first) or by voice. You can say, “Hey Siri—turn on the Christmas tree” [or whatever you’ve named that outlet] or “Hey Siri—turn on the Table Lamp!”

It just works.

You can also set up schedules for these on-and-off-turnings, or (if you have an Apple TV) even control it from across the internet. The app tells you how much energy each formerly dumb device has consumed.

Then again, if you’re not an Apple person, you might prefer the Wemo Mini Smart Plug; it lets you voice-control your outlet using Alexa or “OK Google” commands. It’s only $34, although it has only one outlet.

Logitech Craft Keyboard

You wouldn’t think there’s much call for PC peripherals anymore. Those were the hot items during the holidays maybe 20 years ago—but now? Who’d want a mouse or keyboard for Christmas?

You might, if you could try the Logitech Craft Keyboard for Mac or Windows (MSFT). It feels like it’s made of stealth-bomber carbon-fiber or something. It’s fully wireless, super thin, super sturdy, with a great typing feel and a complete set of keys, including a numeric keypad.

The best part, though, is the knob at top left, called the Crown. It’s an input device that works in three ways: You can turn it, you can tap it, and you can click it down—and in many programs, you can program what those things do!

You might set it up so that in most apps, turning it controls volume; tapping it means Play/Pause music; and pressing it switches apps. In Photoshop, you can have it change brush sizes. In a web browser, turning it might switch among open tabs.

It’s a great keyboard—with a knob.

Sadly, those customizable functions are available only in Microsoft Office and Adobe programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere—not any program you want. I’d love for that knob to scroll the timeline in Final Cut, for example. Still, this keyboard transforms the experience of typing and doing creative work. The computer nerd in your life will adore it.

ReMarkable Tablet

What a weird, wonderful product!

The ReMarkable tablet, born as a Kickstarter success story, is true to its name. It’s pretty remarkable, and you can mark it over and over again.

It feels like a legal pad: very light, easily one-handable. You use the included stylus to write on it. (The stylus never needs batteries or charging.) There’s no lag when you write, and the grayscale E-Ink screen has no glass (the company says that the tablet is “virtually indestructible”); it’s a finely textured plastic, so it feels exactly like you’re writing on paper.

The ReMarkable is like a Kindle that you can write or draw on.

You can have your “paper” be blank, lined, or equipped with a grid, like graph paper. You can import PDF documents and mark them up, easy as pie—incredible if you’re a teacher or a lawyer or something.

And in real time, anything you write or draw on the tablet shows up on your computer, ready for sharing or printing. It’s all automatic and wireless.

I recognize that upon hearing the $600 price, a natural reaction might be, “Holy moly—for that money, you could buy an older iPad or Android tablet! Which is color, and has speakers and microphone and a backlight!”

And that’s all true. On the other hand, the comparison isn’t quite right. This thing isn’t a full-blown computer with a complex operating system and millions of apps. It’s simple, true to function, and an absolute joy to use. There’s really nothing else like it.

EvaLight Personal Air Conditioner

This little box, from Evapolar, sits on your desk and cools you much more effectively than a simple fan; it’s an actual personal air conditioner. It can’t chill an entire room; it creates a cocoon of cool only around you, using a tiny fraction as much energy (10 watts) as a regular air conditioner (900 watts).

It’s a personal air conditioner for your desk.

Now, the science of this thing makes no sense to me: You fill its reservoir with water, and its “evaporation pads” humidify the air that it blows on you.

I’ve always thought that heat is worse when the air is moist. (You know: “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity!”) Don’t air conditioners work by drying the air they blow at you? I asked the company, and the response wasn’t crystal clear: “When the hot air is saturated with water, it gets cooled.”

In other words, it works because it works, I guess.

Well, whatever; the point is, it does work. It’s very quiet, it simultaneously filters the air, and it drops the temperature around you as much as 55 degrees Fahrenheit in dry climates—much less in humid climates like Florida.

Eero 2 Mesh WiFi Network

The Eero was one of the first mesh WiFi systems for consumers. When I reviewed it last year, I wrote:

Instead of installing just one Wi-Fi transmitter, you install a set of them, spaced evenly throughout your house.  The result is a single "mesh network" that blankets the entire house with a good, strong signal. (The company’s marketing pitch goes like this: Expecting a single router to fill an entire home with Wi-Fi is like expecting one speaker to fill every room with music.) Eero smashes the dead-zone problem like a sledgehammer on an ant. It’s drop-dead simple to set up and a joy to use.

Now there’s the Eero 2, which lowers the whole-home price of entry, from $500 to $350. That’s because the $350 kit includes only one main router—and two half-size “beacons” (satellite units), which plug into any power outlet.

These three WiFi pieces can blanket a four-bedroom house with no dead spots.

As a lovely touch, the beacons also double as automatic night lights, whose brightness adjusts to the room.

Why put so much effort into making these gizmos small and attractive? Because they work best when they’re out in the open. “We don’t want people putting them behind the dresser or a couch,” the company tells me, which is exactly what you’d do if they were ugly.

The Eero 2 is also 20% to 30 % faster than the original Eeros, and offers twice the range. The app is still lovely and simple to use; you can set the whole thing up in about six minutes.

(The company also offers a $100-a-year subscription service that offers whole-home virus/malware protection and parental controls. You’d know if that’s appealing to you.)

Prank Packs

These things are hilarious. They’re incredibly real-looking, earnestly designed packages—yes, empty boxes ($5)—for terrible products. They’re pranks: You’re supposed to put a real gift inside, and then enjoy that moment when the recipients tear off the wrapping to behold what they think is a huge misfire of a gift. “Oh, uh…wow. Thanks!”

(And what’s wrong with regular gift bags? As the website puts it: “Because gift bags are boring and dull and mundane and stale and they end up in landfills. Prank Packs are entertaining, colorful, and rigid. Last we checked, no one throws away entertaining, colorful, and rigid items.”)

If you have a baby, you might really enjoy the convenience of the Crib Dribbler, which is essentially a hamster-cage water dispenser for infants. The testimonials on the back are fantastic. (“I forgot I had a baby for six wonderful hours!”)

Or how about the Tech Neck? It holds your phone so you can be hands-free—by clamping a bendable arm around your neck.

Real boxes for fake products.

Then there’s the Earwax Candle Kit, the Bathe+Brew (shower coffee maker + soap dispenser), the Cheese Printer (“Adding a nutritious component to fond memories is as easy as One, Two, Brie!”), and many more. You can look them over here. (The funniest stuff is often on the back.)

And don’t miss the same company’s prank gift cards, like the one that’s redeemable at the SOAK Hot-Tub Dining restaurants, or Barry Del Greco’s MobileRub massage trailer.

You can slip an actual, useful gift card into one of these phony, hilarious sleeves.

I’m also a fan of their fake wine labels. They neatly cover up the real labels of bottles (front and back)—perfect for the wine you bring when you’re a dinner guest. (They peel off to reuse.) There’s Highway Bounty 2011 Table Wine (“Harvested Daily from HWY 64, Teminville”), for example, and my favorite, Chateau La-Di-Da.

There are hilarious bogus wine labels available, too.

Lyric Speaker

OK, this last one—holy moly. It’s called the Lyric Speaker, and it’s hand-made in Japan, and it’s just unbelievably cool.

It’s a Bluetooth speaker the size of a small suitcase. The front and back are glass. And somehow, when you connect it to your WiFi and play music from your phone, the lyrics of the song appear suspended in space inside the glass. I have no idea what kind of display technology it’s using; it’s crisp grayscale images on transparent glass. You can see through this thing.

Art? Music? You decide.

This is not just karaoke. The lyrics don’t just scroll; they use different fonts, sizes, animations styles, and background visuals to create live, moving art. The speaker really is an art piece as much as it is a speaker; you could sit and stare at it for hours. (The company says it has 2 million songs’ lyrics in its database. When you choose a song it doesn’t know, it plays super-cool screensaver visuals instead.)

Now, I don’t really expect you to buy this thing unless you’re in Donald Trump’s tax bracket. It costs $4,500 for the black one, $5,600 in gold color. But hey, cut me some slack—my previous gift idea was a $5 cardboard box.

Happy Hollydays!

So there you go—gift ideas nobody saw coming. All of ‘em are great, in their own ways—and all of ‘em will lead to a delightful day of playing with the new toys.

More from David Pogue:

Royal Caribbean’s big bet on new tech

Battle of the 4K streaming boxes: Apple, Google, Amazon, and Roku

iPhone X review: Gorgeous, pricey, and worth it

Inside the Amazon company that’s even bigger than Amazon

The $50 Google Home Mini vs. the $50 Amazon Echo Dot — who wins?

The Fitbit Ionic doesn’t quite deserve the term ‘smartwatch’

Augmented reality? Pogue checks out 7 of the first iPhone AR apps 

David Pogue, tech columnist for Yahoo Finance, is the author of “iPhone: The Missing Manual.” He welcomes nontoxic comments in the comments section below. On the web, he’s davidpogue.com. On Twitter, he’s @pogue. On email, he’s poguester@yahoo.com. You can read all his articles here, or you can sign up to get his columns by email. 

[fumpkins]

He’s let thousands of insects bite and sting him—here’s what he’s learned

You probably don’t savor the agony of a well-stubbed toe, but pain is a boon. Stings teach us to avoid similar dust-ups in the future, but entomologist Justin Schmidt refuses to heed the warnings. He’s been poked at least 1,000 times in the name of the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, a scale that objectifies the intensity of our boo-boos, so he’s got a somme­lier’s palate for pain. Here’s a taste of some of his most delectable entries.

Pain Level 1

Sweat Bees: “Light and ephemeral, almost fruity. A tiny spark has singed a single hair on your arm.”

Little Wasp: “Sharp meets spice. A slender cactus spine brushed a buffalo wing before it poked your arm.”

Indian Jumping Ant: “Ah, that wonderful wake-up feeling, like coffee but oh so bitter.”

Pain Level 2

Western Honey Bee: “A flaming match head lands on your arm and is quenched first with lye and then sulfuric acid.”

Yellow Jacket: “Hot and smoky, ­almost irreverent. Imagine W.C. Fields ­extinguishing a cigar on your tongue.”

Honey Wasp: “Spicy, ­blistering. A cotton swab dipped in ­habanero sauce has been pushed up your nose.”

Pain Level 3

Red-headed Paper Wasp: “Immediate, irrationally intense, and ­unrelenting…the closest you will come to seeing the blue of a flame from within the fire.”

Red Paper Wasp: “Caustic and burning, with a distinctly bitter aftertaste. Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut.”

Florida Harvester Ant: “Bold and unrelenting. Somebody is using a power drill to excavate your ingrown toenail.”

Pain Level 4

Tarantula Hawk: “Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair dryer has just been dropped into your bubble bath.”

Bullet Ant: “Pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a [3-inch-nail] embedded in your heel.”

Warrior Wasp: “Torture. You are chained in the flow of an active volcano. Why did I start this list?”

This article was originally published in the Winter 2018 Danger issue of Popular Science.

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