by Roland D. Hallee Recently, at camp, a friend showed me photos of a mushroom – an unusual mushroom – she had seen on the grounds. The mushroom had a blue hue and was seen in a wet area. So, it was research time. It turns out to be an Indigo milk cap, Lactarius indigo, […]
by Roland D. Hallee According to Zachary Smith, of Smith’s Pest Management, summer heatwaves have created the ‘perfect storm’ for a surge in rodent activity. Mainers have had to grapple with heatwaves this summer, and while these extreme weather patterns have obvious consequences, such as water shortages and increased wildfire risk, there’s another, less visible […]
by Roland D. Hallee With the increasing number of wolf sightings reported to me, I found it necessary to revisit the subject. Thanks to John Glowa, of the Maine Wolf Coalition, I will share with you the contents of an email he submitted to The Town Line. Wolves are attempting to recolonize the northeast after […]
by Roland D. Hallee Last week, a friend of mine texted me with the photo of a cricket-like bug for identification. Before I could get back to him, he ID it as a katydid. A few days later, I saw one hanging on the screen door at camp. It had been a while since I […]
by Roland D. Hallee For some reason, this summer, I am getting more and more questions about poison ivy. Where is it? What does it look like? What do you do about it and how do you treat it? All very legitimate questions. As we all know, poison ivy and other members of its family […]
by Roland D. Hallee This may not have anything to do with nature, but I think it qualifies. Nothing is more irritating, to me, at least, than walking into a cobweb as I’m exiting the house or camp. So, that prompted the question, what is the difference between a cobweb and a spider web? The […]
by Roland D. Hallee Have you seen one of these? The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, is an invasive planthopper that feeds on a wide range of plants, including grapes, hops, stone fruits, and hardwood trees. When the spotted lanternfly feeds, it excretes a sticky, sugary fluid that causes sooty mold, which can further damage plants. […]
by Roland D. Hallee While driving into work one morning last week, I hit a swarm of dragonflies along the Seaward Mills Road, in Vassalboro. It resembled snow coming at you while driving through a storm. They were coming at me too fast for me to even get an educated guess as to how many […]
by Roland D. Hallee Spring has arrived in Maine, and with it, the Maine Forest Service and others have been fielding caterpillar questions. Caterpillars are essential food for many other animals, including insects, birds, mammals, and even fish! However, sometimes caterpillars from our trees and shrubs become nuisances around our homes and workplaces, and outbreak […]
by Roland D. Hallee There is nothing like beating a subject to death. But, in this case, it’s worth every word. You have to be living in a cave not to know that deer ticks are at an all time high. They are everywhere. Friends and family have told me stories about their encounters with […]