Where Have All The Insects Gone?

[Baddad]

Something I find of concern is that as a child (and that was not in the Jurrasic era) There were a great many more insects and frogs about, including spiders. We have almost no spiders around the house. That is due to the geckos and Green Frogs. :shrug::question:

However, when driving on the highways back in 1974 and prior to that, there were hundreds of insect collisions against the windscreen. It was necessary to clean the windscreen after a few hours of driving. Often when pulling into a service station a bird or two would pick off the insects from the front of the car.
Driving in rain was good. No insects to clean off.

These days I hardly have any insect strikes. I'm discounting the occasional locust plague or whatever.


Flying insect invasions into the house was common in the 50's & 60's. Now there may only be a few ants or a few Christmas beatles. The numbers are nothing like what it used to be.


Could it mean a situation like the proverbial canary in the mine?


Anyone else notice these changes?:confused2:

Cheers

[cfranks]

I think I have most of the missing spiders at my place. During an Imaging night I get dozens of wind-bourne webs across my face as the spiders migrate. I now know how Gulliver felt when he was tied down!

Charles

[troypiggo]

Dennis has been shooting all of them, then feeding them to his pet lizard.

[Omaroo]

Cicadas come to mind too. When I was growing up on Sydney's north shore in the 60's they covered the tree trunks everywhere and were deafening - every year. I haven't heard a single one in years.

[astronut]

All the mozzies were out at our observing site last weekend!!:lol::lol:

[multiweb]

I have bucket loads of bugs around here if you need any. I think as kids we used to go around more than kids now who are mostly indoors but I don't think there is any less wildlife out there.

[GrampianStars]

They're all here at "Halls Gap" around the "elephant Hide" valley
The noise F A N T A S T I C day and night :thumbsup:

[Poita]

Yeah, flies used to be the bane of my childhood summers, now we only get a few. Haven't heard the deafening roar of Cicadas for a long time either.
Still have plenty of spiders here, and lots of frogs, but nothing like the insect population of my 70s childhood, that is for sure.
Also find it nearly impossible to find Pippies at the beach, which were plentiful and great fun when I was a kid, the rock pools are relatively empty too.
The soldier crabs still seem to be on the march, much to my kid's delight when we visit Urunga, but the other small creatures and bugs seem to have dwindled considerably.

[Omaroo]

Glad to see that they haven't disappeared altogether Rob. :thumbsup: We were completely evil with these as kids. There was nothing better than tying a loosely knotted length of string around a cicada and letting it go. Instant control-line aviation! :thumbsup:

[Ric]

I've noticed that out my way it seems to be a two year cycle for Cicadas and Christmas Beetles, last year there were thousands of them but this year there has only been a handful here and there.

The Huntsmen have been quiet as well but there is a big mum with an egg sac in the garage so I expect there will be an abundance next summer. :scared:

As for the general population of flying bugs, there is still a healthy crowd around here. Just wear a half face helmet on a motorbike and they all home in on me. :D

[scagman]

Still pleany around here.



I'll stick to a full face thank you. I'd rather spend 5-10mins cleaning them off the visor and not my teeth. I suppose if you get hungry on a ride you dont need to stop for a munch:lol::lol:

[Baddad]

Some of the country areas seem to have plenty of bugs.
Around the cities it seems to have been affected somehow.
Maybe the bug sprays? Pollution. Bugs do not tolerate fine dust at all. It cuts off their air supply.

[TrevorW]

Spiders, crickets, dragon flies, butterflies, grasshoppers

they've all moved to WA

[OzRob]

They have come on holiday to Thailand!!!

[Irish stargazer]

They moved there after feasting at my place:(

[tomtom]

I also noticed a lack of "bugs" on my ride up to South Gippsland.
Still had bugs all over my visor and light, but nothing compared to the almost rain sound of previous years on the windscreen.
I only have a car trip to compare it to, but I'm sure there were less than there used to be.

[hotspur]

Yes,Marty-seems a lot less over the last few years.

Of particular concern this season,is the lack of honey bees,our vegie garden
is not producing any zuchennies this year at all,we tried hand pollinating them,but no luck

[gary]

Hi Marty,

I see you are in Brisbane, but this Dec 20th 2011 Sydney Morning Herald article
by Deborah Smith which discusses the anecdotal decline in the numbers of Christmas
beetles in Sydney may be of interest.

See
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/there-goes-the-sun--and-with-it-the-beetle-invasion-20111219-1p2k6.html

[Kevnool]

There is a lot of bushmans floating around in the atmosphere .
Yep its doing its job.

Cheers Kev.

[midnight]

Larger than normal amount of spiders around our place at the moment and the flies are in large numbers this year.

It's been a little wetter than previous years and the buggers are getting into everything.

Darrin...

[Terry B]

Plenty of bugs here.
The flies have reduced in the city since I was a kid. I thought that the introduction of dung beetles years ago was to help reduce the fly numbers.

[Stardrifter_WA]

I agree, I think there are less flies around these days. But, as for spiders, I think I must have them all here. If I left the spider webs alone for a year, my house would look like the Adams Family house :D

Fly Joke: My mother-in-laws cooking was so bad, the flies pitched in and bought her fly screens! :lol: And yes, I did tell that one to my mother-in-law; hmmm, maybe that is why she is my ex mother-in-law now.:rofl:

[TrevorW]

Birds, anyone notice that there may be more birds flying around in the burbs

[Baddad]

Hi Gary,
I read a similar article if not the same one. This summer has been 3-4 degrees cooler up to now. Not as much rain (near record dry November)
Citrus trees have green fruit on and are in heavy blossom again.
Its weird! Frogs have not been as active as previous years. Maybe lack of rain. The frogs would come up to the windows at night, to pick off the insects attracted to the lights.

@ Peter (WA) Re: Spiders. If you get the opportunity capture a few geckos and release them on the house walls. They are magnificent in getting rid of spiders.
When I visit friends I make my observations. Conclusions are that geckos kill off spiders. Tell tale signs of geckos present are the small white tipped droppings on window sills. (The white being dried urine.)

I know of situations where people unwittingly got rid of the geckos. (yes it can be done but I will not disclose how.)
A year or so passed and the spiders invaded. Then they constantly sprayed with chemicals. I expect the flies and mossie numbers would have increased. I had no further contact with them. I don't know.

The geckos did everything. These people did not like the little droppings left behind. But those were remains of cycled spiders, mossies and flies.

[Baddad]

Hi Trevor,
There has been a cycle that the birds have gone through here in and around Brisbane.
I can't comment on WA.

25 years ago many homes were being proofed by contractors against bird entry into roof voids. Most (nearly all) the invasive birds were introduced pests. Sparrows and Starlings.
This eventually resulted in their numbers greatly declining. The number native birds suffered while the pest numbers were up. Consequently the native bird population recovered.

I live about 40 klms north of Brisbane CBD. On 2 acres, with many big gum trees and fruit trees. The native bird population is fantastic here.
I sometimes leave some food out for them. Not a lot and not often. I don't want them becoming too dependant on my feeding them.
The visitors include a few dozen different species. Its interesting how they develope the feeding "pecking order". White Cockatoos first through the Galahs and eventually the Lorrikeets. Pale Headed Rosellas etc in between.

[Stardrifter_WA]

I have to agree, there does appear to be less insects around. I went for a drive to Merredin and back today, a distance of approx 600km round trip, and I didn't get as many bugs on my windscreen as I would have expected. I use to live in Merredin, (oh those wonderful dark skies) about 30 years ago and I remember then getting lots of bugs on my trip to Perth each weekend. So many, in fact, that I used to have a screen in front of my radiator.

Must be global warming! OR, the bugs have finally been bred with more road sense :D

[eamsie]

Interesting observation. Although they have their part in the eco system I have noticed this summer the lack of flies and bugs in general around. Cicada's were a sign of a good summer and unless I've gone deaf or I unconsiously block them out, there doesn't seem to be as many now.
Maybe I should move to WA?

Baddad, I read a similar article to this one (http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/vanishing-frogs-climate-and-the-front-page/) explaining how the decrease of frogs in nature was a definate sign of global warming, so that's a worry.

Don't you think there's been a whole lot of strange things happening to animals (and bugs) in general, lately? Remember in America last year when all those birds started dropping from the sky? Read a case (http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/6213569/Thousands-of-herring-wash-up-then-disappear) in Norway recently where tonnes of fish landed on the shore-then disappeared days later.

I don't want to go preaching on the streets yelling 'the end is nigh', but this all sounds very odd indeed.

[ballaratdragons]

I have no idea what is happening up north, but the bugs and spiders and ants and Dragonflies etc are gaining in numbers down here at Snake Valley.
I only have to go for a 5 minute drive day or night and the windscreen is splattered.
I put some mesh on the front of my car during the recent Locust plague, and I'm glad I left it there as it still gets completely covered in insects every time I drive.

Our house has the same, or possibly more, spiders than a year ago.
My vegie garden has waayyy more insects than a year ago.

Cheryl and I are swatting little moth like critters (really tiny) every night as they flutter around our laptop screens each night in the house.

The Frogs have increased in numbers and voice, and I have many in my garden which I haven't had before. The Dam is inundated with them, but I love the sound of them all singing and chirping away :)

Flies? You betcha! Galore in the day time.

So, if anyone is missing an insect or two (trillion), they may be here. I can send them back if you want :lol:

[Baddad]

Yes Wierd things are happening. Even the plants don't know what season it is.

Lemon tree with green fruit half grown and the tree flowers again.
The two orange trees are doing the same.
It may be because of prolonged overcast skies and suddenly clearing for long periods. ( Cleeewwwds Go Away ):lol:

[ballaratdragons]

Not just an increase in insects down here.

Check this out! We are being inundated by a gazillion Rabbits too :mad2:

See HERE! (http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/news/general/rabbit-numbers-on-the-rise-across-ballarat-region/2411329.aspx)

Oh woopeeee, more Rabbits :sadeyes:

and another one they don't mention is the increase of Kangaroos and Wallabies. Because of all the new lush greenery around this part of the country there are waayyyy more of them bounding out onto the road at dusk and night in amazing numbers!

The rains have changed the whole ecology dramatically.

[Shano592]

They are in the bushland behind my place. In the early summer, and usually right through to early January, they are absolutely deafening - it is like daytime tinnitus.

As for the insects ... well, the magpie family in our area has no trouble grabbing a feed from my yard each day, and the kookas find heaps of worms to feed their 3 young.

I also have some frogs - sand frogs I think.

Oh, and a zillion mozzies! :help:

[Baddad]

Last summer's rain, I believe, has had an impact here. The insect populations have not fully recovered yet.

Even the fishing locally has been affected. Numbers are way down.

The southern states may be heading for plague numbers perhaps. Having near idael conditions.

[jules42]

Really interested in your comments about the lack of insect life. My other half is a beekeeper and has had his attention drawn to the damage being caused by neonicatinoids, insect sprays and treatments which have taken over the space left by the removal of organophosphates and other pesticides.

Unfortunately its not just bees who are affected, and while the absolute proof of the damage being caused is hard to find, a small amount of research on the internet (yes, a lot of scientific papers out there, not just rants from the disaffected) will reveal the story.

Seeds are treated and the poison becomes a systemic insecticide in the plant. A good example is canola - it permeates the plant and pollens, causing our poor old bees to become disorientated. Other beneficial insects are also affected and vanish.

Sprays of the nicatinoids (all of them, I gather) remain in the soil for many years, causing problems with worms and other soil inhabitants.

The whole family of these are now in ubiquitous use in the community, through our supermarkets, farming supply shops etc etc. I guess that the big chemical companies wanted treatments which had no apparent affect on
humans, as toxity of these substances on us appears to be safe, whereas the organophosphates and their ilk were apparently not so.

We have noticed on our farm since the floods last year a dearth of mosquitoes and other insect life. One would have expected huge numbers after the floods, but not so.

I read where even 1 part per billion has deleterious affects on insects, a staggeringly minute percentage. With bees it affects their neurotransmitters and they get lost.

There is a suspicion that this is part of the reason for the massive loss of bees in the USA. France and Germany have banned the substance because of observed losses from spraying near beehives.

We would be most interest to receive any comments re apparent insect losses in any areas.

Time to invoke the Precautionary Principle! file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Julie/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif

[pgc hunter]

We get the usual Redback, White-tail and Black House spider plagues every summer. Lots of mozzies aswell. But there has been hardly any flies last couple of summers.

[stephenb]

Cicadas and March flies - haven't heard/seen them in years.

[Waxing_Gibbous]

They're pretty much all at my place!!!
God-have-mercy they're everywhere.
Mozzies, gnats, butterflies, crickets, cicadas (the RACKET-you can't sleep at night), some massive black things with a spine (shudder!), damsel-flies, harlequin bugs, white-tails, huntsmen, orb-weavers and more frogs with legs than Multiweb could eat in a lifetime!

The locals tell me that this is a sign of a healthy ecosystem and I might put-up with it if it all wasn't going on in my living room at various times of year. I'm afraid to seek help in case they send a bunch of pimply, bearded DoE naturalists 'round to study it. They'd expect me to feed and house them while they put together some nonsensical theory about global-whatever-it-is-this-week.

Insecticide overuse is highly unlikely as most industrial one's are now "green" and work by physically blocking insects from breathing and gumming-up their mouth bits, meaning they are only effective on targeted crops and such.

There is no way that the amount of domestic-use pesticides used in all the world would have an appreciable impact on an insect population.

For what it's worth, the last winter was very wet here (wettest on record I think) and animals that had adapted to relatively dry conditions simply didn't bother pupating.
Don't worry though.
They'll be back.
Many insect species eggs/larvae/whatever can last for years in the ground or trees.
I'm stocking-up on "Mortein".