Introducing a few of the earth\u2019s movers and shakers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Have you ever wondered who all the critters\nthat live in the undergrowth of the forest and under the rocks in your garden\nare? Allow me to introduce a few of our silent and often unseen neighbours \u2013\nthose unlikely allies who quietly break down fallen leaves, defend our gardens\nfrom potential pests and help us to grow food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Worms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Earthworms are one of the most efficient\ncomposters on the planet. Moving through the soil, these animals help to break\ndown an enormous portion of organic material. They increase both aeration and\nwater penetration into the soil, making more hospitable conditions for other\norganisms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is thought that the glaciers actually wiped out the earthworms from Canada, and nearly all earthworm species now found here are actually European species that were re-introduced in the ballast from some of the first ships to sail from Europe. We now see that non-native species significantly disrupt natural ecosystems and we should take care not to spread them beyond the garden.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many amphibians are very effective\npredators, and salamanders are no exception. They are very welcome allies in\nthe garden, and eat all sorts of creatures, from insects to worms and snails.\nLike most other amphibians, salamanders can only be found where there is a good\nlevel of moisture, generally with plenty of ground cover like under rocks, logs\nand dead leaves or thick mulch, typically in wooded rural areas. You can help\nthem by keeping an area with plenty of mulch or leaves in your yard \u2013 this is\nespecially important over the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s\nthe difference between a newt and a salamander? Newts are actually a sub-set of\nsalamanders that generally lead a more aquatic life than other groups of\nsalamanders. So: all newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Species spotlight<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Yellow-spotted Salamander is one of the many salamander species found in Canada. These handsome critters are usually black to dark grey or brown as adults, with two bands of yellow spots running down their back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While most people think mainly of Honeybees\nas our star pollinators, Canada is actually home to over 800 species of native\nbees. Many species live in underground nests, burrowing into the earth to build\ntheir homes. Some of the most recognizable groups such as bumblebees, sweat\nbees, mining bees and squash bees all build ground nests. Most ground-nesting\nbees are solitary species, and either don\u2019t have stingers or wouldn\u2019t sting\nunless attacked, because they don\u2019t have a colony to protect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you know: 70% of the world\u2019s species of bees don\u2019t live in hives but build their nests underground?<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Help the bees<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
One of the easiest ways to help ground-nesting bees is to simply be aware of their presence. Their favourite places to live are in well-drained, south facing slopes with sparse vegetation. Squash bees actually tend to build their nests as close to squash or pumpkin plants as possible \u2013 keep an eye out for pencil-sized burrows and try to avoid tilling up areas that are favourable for bees. They depend on these nests to rear the next generation of our pollinating friends! Never use chemical pesticides if you have bees nesting in a nuisance part of your lawn: simply watering the area regularly will encourage them to move elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Millipedes do not have 1,000 legs, whatever\ntheir name may suggest. They are actually born with only three pairs of legs,\nbut can grow up to 200 over their lifespan. Millipedes are defined by having a\nsegmented body, rounded along the top, with two pairs of legs on each segment.\nThey curl up when scared or dead. Millipedes are very efficient detritivores\n(eating fallen leaves and other dead organic matter) and help in breaking down organic\nmaterial down into nutrient-rich soil for plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Millipedes\nare some of the longest-lived arthropods and can live for several years! They\nare also thought to have been some of the first animals to live on dry land thanks\nto a 428 million-year-old millipede fossil found in Scotland.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike centipedes, millipedes do not bite\nor sting, however some species secrete stinky chemicals as a defence, so it is\nstill not advisable to handle them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Snakes are keystone predators in the\nundergrowth \u2013 they feed on everything from amphibians to insects and snails,\nwith a few species feeding on rodents. While there are 26 species of snakes\nnative to Canada, several species are suffering from loss of habitat and one\nhas been extirpated (no longer found in Canada). Keeping areas of undergrowth\nundisturbed, as well as providing over-wintering areas can help these critters\nto thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Species spotlight<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Red-bellied Snake is a small but mighty gardening ally! It has special adaptations to its jaw and teeth that help it to remove the shells from snails \u2013 one of their favourite things to eat! These tiny snakes are completely harmless to people, but are very helpful at keeping snail and slug populations down in your garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Known variably as the roly-poly, the armadillo bug and the woodlouse, pillbugs are another group of detritivores. As their scientific name (Armadillidiidae<\/em>) suggests, many pillbug species are known to curl up into a ball, especially when frightened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pillbugs\ncan ingest metal ions, including heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, zinc and\ncadmium. They can crystallize these metals in their midguts and serve a crucial\nrole in ridding soil of these contaminants.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pillbugs are crustaceans and are therefore more related to shrimps, crabs and lobsters than they are to any insect. As crustaceans, these creatures breathe using gills and need very high moisture levels to survive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Submitted for Harrowsmith <\/em>magazine\u2019s Spring 2019 issue and reprinted with permission<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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