IFUDEX

I have started a 6 week maybe 8 week treatment to replace the skin on my forehead.  Over the years this area has taken a beating. I have cream which is going to get ugly before it gets better.  We finished cutting off all the fingers of the Staghorns yesterday and a dirty job it is too with a powdered form of dead staghorn floating in the air.

April Afternoon

Temperature was around 23° but very little breeze this afternoon.  The beach was empty and the water clear so we tried the new snorkel fins which were harder to work probably, due to their extra size.  Will need to get used to them.  The water is still warm and there were four different rays to observe. The wildlife show continued when a Spider wasp stung a huntsman twice its size but could not carry it back to the mud nest. Eventually it flew off.

speeder

Outside view

Inside view

The Gall

I took a closer look at the neighbours lemon tree. There is no point trying to grow a citrus plant in this back yard let alone try to save one.  The next door tree is big and produces many lemons but it also hosts the Gall Wasp by the bulge full.  Meanwhile back at the house it was painting day after hiding various cracks and holes.

Bulging Buggers

Hole no more

No Truck with that

I can move a house just using a commodore wagon.  You need to do it piece by piece but it can be done. The  mega desks just slide right in. It's picking them up that is an issue.  We contemplated digging up some plants like the Lime Tree however we have discovered that the dropping limes are caused by the Gall wasp which is a QLD bug that has drifted down south.  This bug has adapted to using citrus plants to lay eggs.  The best way is to cut off the infected growth however with an espaliered version the spread would be lost.

Citrus sucking wasps

Maruia Hot Springs

We are high on Lewis Pass and this internet is dodgy.  The bugs are ferocious but we still went outside into the hot pools.  There is a bigger indoor pool with a huge window looking out onto the river.

Bugs begone

Emergence

One thing you couldn't miss at the start of last weeks GVBR was the cicada noise in Halls Gap.  It was country no big deal. They live below ground for 10 yar, then emerge, shed their skin and fly off to make noise.  But I have never noticed it in our front yard before.  There is evidence of numerous emergings and sheddings then I interrupted a bird who was eating a fresh green cicada.

Half chewed Cicada

Shedding

European wasp

Had an incident here where two large black and yellow bodied wasps got into the house. The first warmish north wind day of the season has brought these nasties on the wing and they were larger than I have seen previously. One of these bugs was around 30mm in length which is large even for a queen.  Don't get stung by one of these, especially between the eyes like Reanna, a hospital visit may be required. 

Swollen by a bee

These can sting repeatedly

Phasmid Central

In Dick Smith's early days he arrived at Ball's Pyramid with a scout troupe to climb the rock.  It is the 50th year since the climb and he is going back for a photo to commemorate the feat in 1964. There were numerous photos taken back in 1964 but one in particular showed a dead creepy crawly bug that was being eaten by ants.  This photo lay dormant for over 30 yar until someone in the know who could recognize the bug as a phasmid was flicking through the photos in 1998.
Entomologists were getting excited. It took some years to get through the red tape but eventually a crew was allowed back on the rock and settled down for the night. Sure enough phasmids were alive and well and out of the reach of rats that never made it over to the rock.  Four were taken and sent to Melbourne zoo where the re-education began and the harvesting of eggs.  Phasmids are back on Lord Howe island now but hidden away in boxes and chicken coops.

Phasmid