advertisement


Where have all the Insects gone

blossomchris

blossomchris

I feel better than James Brown
I am really worried, seriously, by the lack of insect life in our garden. We built an insect hotel years ago, I see no signs of guests.
Not one bee has showed on our fully flowered honeysuckle, only seen one butterfly, very few flies and gnats. Grief no wonder intelligent youngsters are taking this on board

wtf is going on, this is far more serious than I thought, and I expect a fair few others feel the same way too
 
I've noticed this too this year. Our mini jungle by the back door is normally full of life this time of year. Now we get excited if a lone hoverfly turns up.
 
And govts keep trying to avoid action to limit toxic sprays. Round me fields look green then suddenly dry and russet. I suspect glyphosate followed by some miracle potion to enable the next cash crop. I suspect inevitably some form of crop rotation will have to be reintroduced is we are to avoid total destruction.
 
Plenty in France - most of them congregating on my haricots & toms.
Ladybirds doing there best to minimise the damage.:)
 
It is hugely worrying. As has been said many times if the pollinators go we all go. A mass extinction event. It certainly seems quieter here insect wise, though they are definitely still about. I rescued a big fat bumblebee from my living room a couple of days ago and as ever there are a ton of irritating midges when cycling on the canal paths. I’m sure there are less of everything though.
 
Thing is though, there actually aren't 'plenty' when you get to it.
Massive, simply colossal decline in certain species = 0ver 50% decline in many, with more than few now all but gone forever.
It's not just insects - just back from holiday, and noticed a huge decline in our native 'Winkle" as I really fancied a few for a snack.
Where I know there were huge colonies - now simply do not exist, along with 'Dog Whelks'
What has taken hold is the once quite rare 'Top Shell' millions of them.
A quick question to google has the ever depressing news - 'global warming' in its very many guises.
 
Commented the same OP when I played golf on Thursday and walked my local canal yesterday.
Hardly any insect activity.
Also, at night when we let the dog out last thing we used to be inundated by flying bugs as we opened the patio window. This year nothing is coming in.
 
We have plenty, loads of Mozzies as usual. There seems to be more bees around too. Also pleasing to see loads more garden birds than when we moved here 13 years ago.

Cheers BB
 
Sat outside the Angel the other night by the Thames, bloody thousands of things flying around. Not seen many wasps yet though, which is nice. Sat in the garden now, quite a few bumble bees, love em.
 
I found a barely alive bee in the bathroom when I got up this morning. It had come in through the window. I made a sugar/water solution which didn't seem to help much, but I left them to it outside. Bee eventually disappeared. I hope it flew off and wasn't eaten by a bird or such.
 
Loads of bees on our foxgloves - they love em.

Definitely seeing less wasps over the last few years.
 
So far this year it has been cool and wet over most of the UK. Most of the UK had a spell of very low temperatures during the winter for the first time in quite a few winters - it was -7C here for the first time in umpteen years.
This current very warm spell will boost their numbers.
 
Vinny said:
So far this year it has been cool and wet over most of the UK. Most of the UK had a spell of very low temperatures during the winter for the first time in quite a few winters - it was -7C here for the first time in umpteen years.
This current very warm spell will boost their numbers.
Click to expand...
Dry as a bone here - we haven't had any rain for the last 5 weeks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top