Some Things are Missing

[Ken Massingale]

here this Summer.

Butterfly's
We have many, many plants to attract Butterflys and normally the bushes and flowers are covered with Swallowtails. All Summer we have seen 2-3 at most, at the same time.

Wasp
We always have issues with Wasp building nests under eves, etc. This year, none.

Yellowjackets

Usually real pest especially at the rear of the back yard near the compost pile. Haven't seen any this year.

Hornets
Usually a few nests in trees in the woods. None this year.

Bumblebees
Second to Honeybees in importance for pollination. Normally the Butterfly bushes are covered, hardly any this year.

Honeybees
Probably about normal, which is drastically lower than 10 years ago.

Some of you may consider most of these pest and thing less is a good thing. I'm just pondering why the drastic change from previous years.

[cpritchard]

Maybe the came to my house, I have seen all of those listed almost double around my house. I fear for my life every time I trim the bushes.

[Ken Massingale]

Wllll, gimme back my dang Butterflys! ;-)

[ironhat]

Are you folks suffering from a drought, Ken? That has a dramatic impact on many insects. We're in the midst of one and I've noted the same issues at home and at the cabin. Honeybees are in an unexlainable decline in addition to the parasitic mite infestation that's now pandemic. It is estimated that honeybee hives have diminished 50% in the past 20 years. Before I blew my back I used to keep bees and it was fascinating. I never got used to being stung as some beekeepers do but I never had an allergic reaction.

[Tequila]

We've got a lot less wasps this year than usual, but I think that's mostly because one of the homeowners in the neighbohood finally got around to clearing a nest out from under his eves. We've got more bees and butterflies than previous years, and the fireflies seem to be holding strong in spite of my dog's efforts to eat as many as he can find.

[Ken Massingale]

Are you folks suffering from a drought, Ken? That has a dramatic impact on many insects. We're in the midst of one and I've noted the same issues at home and at the cabin. Honeybees are in an unexlainable decline in addition to the parasitic mite infestation that's now pandemic. It is estimated that honeybee hives have diminished 50% in the past 20 years. Before I blew my back I used to keep bees and it was fascinating. I never got used to being stung as some beekeepers do but I never had an allergic reaction.

Yes Chiz, we are in a severe drought. I hadn't thought of that as a reason.
I agree about the Honeybees, it's going to have more impact than folks want to believe. I hope to get a hive or 2 in a few months after I retire. I'm a big Honey lover!

Tequila, we seem to have about the same number of fireflies (or as local folks call them, LightningBugs) but the little suckers have black backs instead of the usual Orange.

[Ed62]

We're out of our drought, but I'm pretty sure there are not as many insects around this year. Mosquitoes absolutely love me, but they don't bother my wife much. This year we have fewer mosquitoes than I can ever remember! I don't know whether to rejoice, or wonder what's going on.

Ed

[cpritchard]

Wllll, gimme back my dang Butterflys! ;-)

I would love to give you back everything else but that. Just yesterday, I saw a beautiful butterfly that its wings spanned almost the entire length of a brick. Took a picture of it with my phone and will try to post it for you tonight.

[goslin23]

Down here in Houston we have had a fair amount of rain and the bugs are going crazy! Spiders at my house are a huge issue, we have Black Widows and I've seen a few big 'ol Wolf Spiders hangin' around my garage. (I hate spiders). I've also caught a dozen frogs in my yard (no doubt chowing down on the bugs).

The trucks have been fogging my neighborhood a couple times a week for the mosquitos.

-=gos=-

[Brian G]

Yeah but Ken, you did gain in the number of kittens in log piles.

[SHADOWFOX]

I've been noticing quite a bit of small toads in the yard. It's been years since I've seen or heard one. It's somewhat soothing to listen to them at night along with the crickets.

Rabbits are the ones I have not seen recently. Might have something to do with the explosion of the coyote population.

[ragswl4]

We are of course in another drought. Had three rain drops since January. Bug population is down except for the ants. We have had a big change in the eco system where I live. Four years ago I needed binoculars to see my nearest neighbor. Then they started planting houses, eight feet apart in what used to be an 800 acre farm/ranch.

Now with 500 houses within view, an elementary and middle school and new roads we have lost most of our wildlife. Some good, some bad. We used to have coyotes circling our fenced 5 acres nearly every night. Kangaroo rats everywhere and the occasional rattlesnake and other slithering types.

No more coyotes, the kangaroo rats have disappeared, only one rattlesnake this year. Not sorry about that, I stepped on a big one last year and he struck my pant leg, lucky me, unlucky him as he met Mr. 12ga Remington. The ground squirrels and rabbits are overunning everything. No predators to control the population. They eat everything in site, can't have flowers anymore without building cages around them. Honey bees are gone, used to have them every spring trying to invade under the roof into the attic. Had to have about 15,000 of them (estimated by the bee keeper) removed a couple of years ago.

We have a family of Red Tail Hawks that sit on the power pole by our gate. I am hoping that they will stay around.

I guess the housing developments have driven the wildlife further into the countryside. Progress??

[blame]

here in missouri we had late killing frost no apples peaches hazelnuts mulberrys and plums they where all frosted this year and i have noticed no bees,fewer wasps and hornets,and butterflies maybe seen half a dozen or so all together this year. since all the flower fruit trees were frosted everything moved off to diffrent areas father away from us

acouple of miles to west of my house there is an old school house (one room style) was used till the late 40's here. last year i found a wild bee hive there well late last fall some local boys went and havested the honey and destroyed the hive killing the bees off they had no respect for the little guys or for the future of them i bet there was a couple thousand bees in the hive the area of honey they havested was 8' x 6'

this was the only bee hive i knew of. i'm sure there is more around but i dont think any where that big its just sad to think of people disregard for nature and thoughtlessness of the human race

blame

[ironhat]

Sorry to hear that they thought they had to kill the bees to get some honey. If they had blown some smoke into the hive the bees would have engourged themselves thinking that evacuation was imminent. This makes them docile and more easy to deal with. Of course, a neat covering for the face and some glove helps with the occassional upset bee who gets knocked around and wants to stand his ground. The other secret is to *not* remove all of the honey. The bees will always gather more but they also need some for food.

[TheRic]

Here in this part of Ohio we have been in a drought all summer. Heck even the weeds are brown. A walk in the yard makes crunching sounds, dried grass. Yard has been mowed 3-5 times this year, verses 3-8 times a month. Last time we mowed the yard was beginning-mid June.

All the bugs, insects, spiders, animals are way down. I can not think of 1 item that is up, other than gas . I have heard about the Bees being down over the years. I do believe that it will cause many problems in the future, if it not starting already.

As much as I hate the bugs, I do want my normal weather back!!!