by Roland D. Hallee There are invasive pests making their way into Maine, and it is important that we learn more about them. One of them, the Emerald Ash Borer, has already been spotted in Vassalboro. This week, I will turn my column over to Hildy Ellis, of the Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, […]
by Roland D. Hallee No, we’re not going to talk about the David Ortiz shooting. A couple of weeks ago we talked about these beetles that appeared in a bucket at our camp (See The Town Line, June 20, 2019). At first, through some research, especially the website of the Iowa State University Department of […]
by Roland D. Hallee We talked about vernal pools several years ago, but I think it’s time to visit the subject again. Vernal pools are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the […]
by Roland D. Hallee Last week I received an email from a reader, who resides in Palermo. She sent a photo and asked what kind of bumble bee it was? She had photographed it feeding on her lilacs. At first glance, I thought it was a sphinx moth – better known as a hummingbird moth. […]
by Roland D. Hallee This week, let’s return to the “never seen that before” department. This past winter, for the first time, I deployed the “better mouse trap” in camp. It consists of a five-gallon bucket, a soda can, a piece of wire, some anti-freeze and a piece of strapping. You place the wire through […]
by Roland D. Hallee We haven’t visited the world of ornithology in quite some time, so it was only fitting this past weekend when someone at the weekly campfire asked a question about a bird that sings at night. After some research, it was determined the song heard was that of the hermit thrush. According […]
by Roland D. Hallee In a published report by Matthew R. Bailey, president of the Foundation for Biomedical Research, up to 41.3 million Americans contracted the flu this season, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 500,000 people have been hospitalized because of the virus. Thousands of […]
by Roland D. Hallee It’s the time of year when you start to hear horror stories about deer ticks. I have already heard more than I really want to this early. People have told me about letting their dogs out, only to come back covered in ticks. My granddaughter’s husband told me he went to […]
by Roland D. Hallee While on my way to work this week, I saw no less than five dead porcupines on the side of the road. The thought then came into my mind: Porcupines, nuisance or ecological necessity? It all depends with whom you talk. I know some people who are overrun by the animals […]
by Roland D. Hallee Did you know flying squirrels exist in Maine? Well, be it known that Maine is home to the northern flying squirrel. The northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus, is one of two species of the animal, the only flying squirrels found in North America. The northern flying squirrel is found in coniferous […]