LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…THE BEETLES!

Most of the time, I love to garden. I don’t mind getting out in the yard, even when it’s hot, to pick weeds, trim and water plants, and do the day-to-day maintenance that some find tedious.

And having been a gardener of sorts since I was walking, I’d thought I’d seen everything. Until I went to turn on my hose yesterday evening, that is.

Jump for the payoff (including photo).

What’s that creature you see on the left? I had no idea. I only knew that it looked big and that it was sitting right on my faucet. It was oddly beautiful, with its bright yellow striping and its long, powerful antenna.

I thought it was some sort of beetle, so I went here and found out that my big visitor was intimidating to look at but harmless. He’s a cottonwood borer, and while an infestation of this little guy can mean bad things for young trees, he and his brethren aren’t likely to hurt a mature tree (usually a cottonwood, of course). Plus, he just looks awesome.

Just goes to show you: You’ve never seen everything in your garden. My new friend rode around on my shirt for a while as I pruned the roses. He seemed to enjoy the work–so much so that I considered getting him his own pair of shears. Alas, no. Being the nerd that I am, I drove him over to a wooded area filled with large, established cottonwoods. He seemed pleased.

Want more info on my pal? Go here.