Little household tasks

Spring and summer in Northern Illinois come with a whole spectrum of bugs, critters and insects. Some we were used to see in Holland, such as ants, bees, wasps and dragonflies, but here - stereotypically American - they are clearly bigger in size. Big wood bees, huge bumblebees, and lately we have gigantic ants occasionally marching through our kitchen.

Next to the supersize versions of bugs seen in Holland, we are also encountering more exotic critters around here. June bugs came early this year because of the mild winter and pleasant spring. Their little dome-shaped bodies flocked the street lamps in the evening for a short two weeks early May. I've spotted the first fireflies this season further away from the lake, but we are still waiting for these big butted love seekers to start hovering in our front yard. Nothing beats their mystical fluorescent flickering lighten up a balmy summer evening.

What we do have are several wasps nesting on our back deck. And these critters, either small or supersize, make a fascinating subject for macro photography.