7/30/2007

Stranger than Fiction in my Own Back Yard...

I was hanging out clothes today (which I am pretty sure I am the only white woman in a 60 mile radius that has a clothesline. It must be that midwest thing, I still like to hang out). Anyway I looked up in my red oak tree and saw this massive white web on the trunk. Its probably about 12-15 feet high and literally covers the whole tree. I looked it up and they are called Bark Lice. Who knew? They stay on the tree (don't transfer to pets or houses) and act as a clean-up crew munching on old bark, fungus and other fun stuff. They do no harm to the tree and they spin their web as a protection and work underneath it. There are some crazy bugs down here in the south.

So now I have my own lice colony to watch, although I think I'll start stringing my clothesline somewhere other then the tree, the thought makes me itch.

7 comments:

One Artist a Day said...

I can't see it. Can you point it out?

Emm said...

Its a bad photo, but all the white and silver on the trunk that looks like shadows is the web

Melissa said...

Better your tree than your kid, eh? BTW--good job on getting your ass moving/running. I have been only thinking about it, and I am 3 months out already. YOU good Iowa woman! On that note, do you have a training plan you are using?

Emm said...

ya it called I have family photos Aug 17th :)

Tracy Anne said...

What cool little creatures!

Jessica said...

The word "lice" gives me the creepes. Yuck! So glad it has fallen in love with the trees down there and not your scalp! :)

Abbie said...

Makes ya wanna buy a bottle of "Nix" from the Drug Store (grab a lemon-lime-vanilla Cherry coke on the way out) and go home and wash and comb those yucky things out!!!