Posted on 08/21/2022 3:53:10 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — While monarch butterflies and bees have been making headlines, the world is losing more bugs of all kinds to habitat loss, invasive species, pesticide use, and more human causes.
You may have noticed that, for example, if you’re slapping more mosquitos away lately.
“I have noticed that I haven’t been bitten like I have not had as many mosquito bites this year,” Lisa Briggs, a garden coach from The Bruce Company, said.
That may seem like a relief over the summer, but hate to clip your wings — “while a lot of people think that’s a great thing, it probably isn’t,” UW Professor Daniel Young said.
While the pesky bloodsuckers carry some disease, the entomologist said, their contributions, like those of other insects, tend to be overlooked.
“We consider bad as a function of us, right? So if it affects us personally, if it affects our cropping systems? Bad,” he said.
Mosquito larvae are important to aquatic food chains, and they are “filter feeders, so they are getting rid of a lot of the stuff that’s in the water,” he said.
Worldwide, all kinds of insects have been on a steep decline.
“Depending on the study over the last 20 years or so, most of the studies that have looked at insect biomass have reported anywhere from… about a 40 to about a 75% loss,” said Young. “That hits us right in the grocery store.”
It’s not just mosquitoes we can notice in Wisconsin, but also dragonflies, deerflies, horseflies, black flies, stable flies, and of course – pollinators.
“There would be bees and beetles and wasps all over those flowers, and now I may see one or two things,” the professor said. “A lot of people would think like pollination where that hits us right in the grocery store.”
RELATED: ‘Monarchs are in big trouble’: Butterflies being listed endangered internationally a call to action for local conservation, expert says
According to Briggs, that could come back to bite us.
“I want to say around 60% of our food requires pollination,” she said. “And so that is super important when you think about the fact that so much of the human diet depends on flowering, those flowers being pollinated so that they can produce seed for things like apples or peaches or that kind of thing.”
“It could have a pretty devastating effect,” Briggs said. “Can you save enough to make a difference in the long term?”
According to Professor Young, we may be more in the “salvage” than the “save” stage when it comes to widespread solutions.
“You’re about 100 years too late,” he said, “the question can’t be ‘can you save it?’ because you can’t, it’s already unsaved. The question is ‘can you save enough of it to make a difference in the long term?’”
Habitat loss is a huge factor, and some efforts have been made — but Young said urban and agricultural development has eliminated so much habitat that restored areas like Wisconsin prairies are often too isolated.
“If they’re sitting out there all by themselves surrounded by acres and acres and acres of corn — that’s good that’s done, but it really doesn’t help establish that connectivity that’s so important for populations to have genetically,” he said.
“We’ve lost a lot of corridors that groups of species use to find one another, mating, and then populations get smaller and can’t maintain their genetic diversity in those situations,” Young said.
He said there are prairie seed mixes people can buy and plant to encourage native pollinators to visit the area and diversify more urban or residential areas.
Another problem zapping the bug populations is insecticide use.
That’s something Briggs said gardeners can fix by being more thoughtful about what bug spray they use and which species are in the line of fire.
“(It’s) how to use a pea shooter instead of a bazooka,” she said, “because most insecticides are broad spectrum, so they’re going to kill anything.”
Perhaps most important is getting people to understand the contributions insects make to the environment and how important it is they don’t buzz off.
“When you go up to Devil’s Lake, right, you want to experience the lake, the trees — but you don’t want bugs bothering you — well, then you don’t have an ecosystem,” Young said.
“So, understanding that insects are an integral part of nature if you want to go out and enjoy nature understand that you’re out in their territory as well,” he said.
Seems all the mosquitoes have migrated to my legs.r
It’s a brave and noble soul who can come forward and admit their culpability in so negatively affecting an entire living species in the natural order.
You’re doing your part in saving the Earth.
“Experts” + “could” = “irrational fear, insanity, and monetary grants”
Pathetic.
There have been about the same around here, there are more butterflies and dragon flies this year.
I have not been observing bugs, but this year, has had the most birds chirping. Which I like.
Re: Lightening Bugs, also known as Fireflies. (Is that a North/South thang?)
One of my favorite songs/videos of all time. ‘Fireflies’ by Owl City:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psuRGfAaju4
“The swallows are still here, two weeks later than most years, so there must be plenty of flying bugs. That’s all they eat.”
I can’t mow the house yard (lawn) without being swarmed by Swallows looking for the bugs I kick up!
If I were a Disney Princess, I could get those Swallows to dress me each day and do all of my household chores! ;)
We need more taxes and communism.
My garden needs more bees and other pollinators. This year has not been a very productive one for my vegetable garden. I’ve gardened for many years, so I can compare.
All the bugs are in MA, NH and ME. You could resupply the entire globe with all the bugs there.
And the solution to every problem is higher taxes, more government spending and more regulations.
You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep
‘Cause they fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You’d think me rude but I would just stand and stare
I’d like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep
‘Cause everything is never as it seems
‘Cause I’d get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance
A foxtrot above my head
A sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread (thread, thread)
I’d like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep
‘Cause everything is never as it seems
(when I fall asleep)
Leave my door open just a crack
Please take me away from here
‘Cause I feel like such an insomniac
Please take me away from here
Why do I tire of counting sheep?
Please take me away from here
When I’m far too tired to fall asleep
To ten million fireflies
I’m weird ‘cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said, “Farewell” (they said farewell)
But I’ll know where several are
If my dreams get real bizarre
‘Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar (jar, jar, jar)
I’d like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep
‘Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep)
I’d like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep
‘Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep)
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Adam R. Young
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Adam R. Young
Fireflies lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
There seemed to be fewer fireflies than usual this summer and I haven’t managed to see any for the last 3 weeks...usually there are still some in the second half of August and sometimes into early September.
Help yourself to my mosquito supply.
And help yourself to some rabbits too.
The rabbits are not afraid of people in my part of Florida.
And the gnats are hanging around.
Usually they are limited to swarms for a few days several times a year.
I’ve got plenty of bugs, insects, worms, bees and butterflies in my veggie garden. The birds help me control them.
Nailed it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.