World Insect Population Down 75% (bugs, butterfly, insects, corn)
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I guess this explains why people are complaining about the lack of butterflies in their yards. This is what comes of a century of nuking everything with pesticides, ripping out local flora to plant monocultural fields of corn and beets and whatever, and eliminating local flora in our yards to replace them with foreign stuff the local insects can't eat. We just can't get enough of killing everything we can get our hands on.
And this was the best year I had for the monarch population passing through. I'm still seeing a few this late in the year, along with many painted ladies. Yes I plant for the critters first, and aesthetics second.
And this was the best year I had for the monarch population passing through. I'm still seeing a few this late in the year, along with many painted ladies. Yes I plant for the critters first, and aesthetics second.
Good on you! The monarch gets a lot of ink and so people think to plant milkweeds for them. This was a spectacular year for milkweeds but in my area -- rural, surrounded by fields sprayed with God knows what -- I have seen hardly any monarchs this year and even fewer butterflies of other species. This year, zero 8-spotted foresters, maybe 3 fritillaries, 1 single clymene moth at work (none on my forest of their host plants at home), a grand total of 1 black swallowtail, and just a sprinkle of the ubiquitous white cabbage butterflies. None of the little blue ones, no zebras, no imperial moths or cecropias. I wonder how the fishflies are doing in Lake St. Clair..?
It was not a spectacular year here for milkweeds. Many developed rust early on, and never really became mature plants. On the other hand Common milkweed exploded this year. I have to say though, the total butterfly count was huge this year. And Clearwings were everywhere, which I'm hoping is from the many different types of Viburnum I've been planting.
Butterflies and bees or mosquito's and cockroaches?
Butterflies started going away in the 60's in my hood thanks to DC3 skeeter planes that would fly about 200ft above our homes. I see plenty of bee's dee and never see roaches in my house but they are around. Skeeters are plenty jenny when it is wet. Now we have crazy ants to make up the lack of other bugs.
In theory as our society continues to spray pesticides and herbicides everywhere, it may be accumulating everywhere. So all of the thousands of species of insects are in danger. Followed by the songbirds and bats who depend on insects.
The stereotypical 'canary in the coal mine' metaphor.
Also, all those pesticides/herbicides will kill off many beneficial species (bees, ladybugs, etc.) while hardier, virulent ones like roaches, mosquitoes, flies, etc will proliferate, requiring more pesticides. It will be a vicious cycle that will throw off the whole natural food chain.
Guess who is at the top of that food chain?
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