Insect decline guess who's also to blame

[Sid]

Light pollution from street lamps linked to insect loss

Scientists say light pollution is a factor driving "worrying" declines in local insect populations.

www.bbc.co.uk

Light pollution from the general public.

 

[Henarar]

Me, I have swatted a few flies lately

 

[Sid]

Jeremy Whine was having a pop at agriculture for the decline in the bugs on car windows.

Evidence is there are twice as many ccars so half as many bugs on each car and they are also more aerodynamic.

But it was OK for cars to splat them as long as agriculture actively encouraged them.

 

[nonemouse]

Jeremy Whine was having a pop at agriculture for the decline in the bugs on car windows.

Evidence is there are twice as many ccars so half as many bugs on each car and they are also more aerodynamic.

But it was OK for cars to splat them as long as agriculture actively encouraged them.

Will it be our fault when, we are forced to reduce livestock numbers and that results in a further decline in insect numbers

 

[M-J-G]

Imagine how few bugs there would be if there was no livestock.

 

[M-J-G]

Will it be our fault when, we are forced to reduce livestock numbers and that results in a further decline in insect numbers

You beat me to it by 2 seconds

 

[DaveGrohl]

Jeremy Whine was having a pop at agriculture for the decline in the bugs on car windows.

Evidence is there are twice as many ccars so half as many bugs on each car and they are also more aerodynamic.

But it was OK for cars to splat them as long as agriculture actively encouraged them.

Dunno where he drives. My windscreen still collects as many bugs as it ever has even though it's more aerodynamic than years ago. Maybe that's because I'm in a livestock area and he's in That London?

 

[Kevtherev]

Light pollution from street lamps linked to insect loss

Scientists say light pollution is a factor driving "worrying" declines in local insect populations.

www.bbc.co.uk

Light pollution from the general public.

I drive around at night with no lights on saves the insects and electric

 

[Henarar]

I drive around at night with no lights on saves the insects and electric

Just need to eat lots of carrots Kev

 

[Cab-over Pete]

There was some kind of “expert” on the radio a while back saying that up to 93% of bugs had disappeared. He was keen to point out that they are absolutely essential for pollination and therefore the survival of the human race.

I thought, if we have lost nearly all our essential pollinators, how come we still have good crops?

 

[Goweresque]

Just need to eat lots of carrots Kev

It always amuses me that the whole 'carrots help you see in the dark' idea (which is still widespread today) was a WW2 ruse to try and hide the Allies use of radar to direct their night fighters. The press made a big thing that Allied night fighter pilots were fed a carrot rich diet that improved their night vision and thus accounted for the rise in German bombers destroyed at night. When in reality it was the radar that allowed pilots to find and shoot down more planes.

A WWII Propaganda Campaign Popularized the Myth That Carrots Help You See in the Dark

How a ruse to keep German pilots confused gave the Vitamin-A-rich vegetable too much credit

www.smithsonianmag.com

 

[Bogweevil]

There was some kind of “expert” on the radio a while back saying that up to 93% of bugs had disappeared. He was keen to point out that they are absolutely essential for pollination and therefore the survival of the human race.

I thought, if we have lost nearly all our essential pollinators, how come we still have good crops?

Crop plants, those that are not wind pollinated which are most of them, have been bred to be largely self-pollinating. It is wild species that are vulnerable, not generalists like ragwort, poppies and other weeds but those that require specialist habitats and specialised pollinators. I blame rascally liming contractors for allowing lime to drift onto SSSIs - present company excepted obviously.

Good read: https://post.parliament.uk/research-briefings/post-pn-0619/

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I’ll try harder next time

 

[Bald Rick]

TBH I am getting concerned by the general lack of insects around.

Rare to see any variety of butterfly on the buddleia we have dotted around the farm now whereas in just a few years passed they would be heaving.
Even our ponds have limited insects in and around them

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

We see loads of insects here in the fields and around the yard. We get lots of swallows and bats feeding as well suggesting the insect populations is good.

 

[Cowabunga]

This is one of those claims that if repeated often enough and for long enough it becomes accepted as being true. In fact insects are alive and thriving. The kind of insects that are swatted by car windscreens and are attracted by bright lights are generally Autumn insects that fly from, well, late August through to mid October. This is always the time of year when windscreens are fouled by nasty sticky insect innards.
General insects thrive from May until November and, if it is of any relevance whatsoever, flies are bothering my cows this year more than they have done for the last four or five years and indeed as much as I can ever remember. Obviously no warbles, thank goodness. For arable areas, just ask rape growers how they see the insect population.

 

[Gordy1]

Same here must be something to do with living in the countryside with no street lights, they’re talking about dimming street lights in the towns or even putting some sort of filter on them according to a chap on radio 4 today, what I don’t understand he said where there are fewer bugs they are a lot bigger….that what’s happening they are eating the others.

 

[Martin Holden]

I drive around at night with no lights on saves the insects and electric

Remind me not to drive in mid Wales after dusk then! Wouldn’t want to meet you in yer digger!

 

[DaveGrohl]

This is one of those claims that if repeated often enough and for long enough it becomes accepted as being true. In fact insects are alive and thriving. The kind of insects that are swatted by car windscreens and are attracted by bright lights are generally Autumn insects that fly from, well, late August through to mid October. This is always the time of year when windscreens are fouled by nasty sticky insect innards.
General insects thrive from May until November and, if it is of any relevance whatsoever, flies are bothering my cows this year more than they have done for the last four or five years and indeed as much as I can ever remember. Obviously no warbles, thank goodness. For arable areas, just ask rape growers how they see the insect population.

I'd read somewhere last week that the 90% loss figure was claimed some years ago but was immediately refuted and exposed as rubbish by the scientific community. There was some reduction but nowhere near 90%. But that figure kept getting repeated by the media and here we are several years later........

 

[Kevtherev]

Remind me not to drive in mid Wales after dusk then! Wouldn’t want to meet you in yer digger!

That’s ok as when @Cab-over Pete smiles you see his pearly whites indicating our presence