Published June 8, 2020
Finding friends, not foes, in your backyard
Heads up! This article was published 4 years ago.
Warmer weather typically means manicured yards, bountiful gardens and visits from all things that buzz, jump, crawl and fly. Before you write something off as a pest, whether it’s an unwelcome plant or insect, learn about how flora and fauna work together to create a balanced habitat – even in your backyard.
Are all weeds worrisome?
Dandelions are often thought to be the scourge of perfect yards, but they are helpful to other plants and pollinators. Often referred to as “tooth of the lion,” these yellow beauties have long roots which bring up nutrients from the deep soil and help feed nearby grasses for healthy lawns. Pollinators, such as honeybees, also enjoy the yellow flower of dandelions for food.
Instead of treating your lawn with herbicides, encourage these healthy yard plants to grow. If you are worried about dandelions growing near your garden, remove them and put them to good use:
- Make a bubble pipe: Kids will love blowing bubbles with dandelions. Take the stem and split it four ways lengthwise about a half inch. Dip one end in bubble solution and blow bubble softly though the other end.
- All-natural tea: According to healthline.com, drinking dandelion tea could have major benefits for your body, including reducing water weight and soothing digestive issues.
- Eat your weeds: Dandelion greens and flowers are great to incorporate into your favorite recipes. The greens taste earthy and bitter, while the flowers taste sweeter and crunchy. You can find plenty of recipes that utilize dandelions, from salads to fritters.
Many additional plants in your yard that you may think are weeds could be beneficial to insects, birds and other plants. Before you pluck up what you think is a weed, check that you aren’t removing something that attracts pollinators.
Where the wild things are
Many people appreciate beautiful bugs, such as butterflies, but other insects and crawly creatures tend to get a bad rap. Here are some fun critters that you can find in the wild and in your yard:
- Jumping spiders: Funny-faced, cute and harmless, jumping spiders are common and can be found near flowers. These tiny athletes can jump a remarkable height and distance for their size. They also like to “cut a rug,” so if you find one put it in front of a mirror and it might see itself and start to dance. These tiny guys eat small bugs, so be sure to leave them near flowers where they can readily find food.
Did you know? Spiders are beneficial to your yard, garden, home and the environment because they keep insect populations in control. Most spiders aren’t harmful and have an important job to do, so if you see them let them be. Learn more about spiders in Ohio.
- Land Crawdads: Much like kids, the common land crawdad loves to play in the mud. These creatures have two pinchers used to pinch bits of mud together to roll into tiny balls. They also use their pinchers to create a “well” in damp areas in your backyard or favorite park. Water collects at the bottom of this “well,” which is used to keep the land crawdad’s gills wet until they can hunt small creatures in the evening on the lands surface. You can spot these critters by finding their mud ball mountains, which are arranged on top of their house holes or “wells.”
- Fireflies: Fireflies are beetles, which means they have hard outer wings which hinge open, allowing their inner “flying” wings to be used. There are over 20 kinds of fireflies living in Ohio, each with its own pattern of flashing. While some fireflies look greener when they glow, others may look more yellow. All fireflies use their impressive lights to attract a male mate.
Fireflies can most easily be seen in the early evening as the sun sets. Visit the area surrounding Patty’s Shelter at Englewood MetroPark, Woodman Fen Conservation Area and Morning Glory Shelters at Germantown MetroPark.
Did you know? Fireflies are an example of animals that can “light up.” Bioluminescence is when a living creature can create an emission of light. Some other creatures that can “glow” are jellyfish, algae and some octopodes (the plural of octopus!).
You can get interactive while searching for fireflies with the citizen science project, Firefly Watch.
Five Rivers MetroParks visitors should always follow the CDC’s recommendations while spending time outdoors. For the most current information on MetroParks’ COVID-19 response and related closures, visit metroparks.org/covid-19 and follow Five Rivers MetroParks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
