Are insects returning? (1 Viewer)

[hja]

Many of us of a certain age will remember windscreens etc splattered with insects as soon as you drove out into the countryside. Since then we have killed of many insects and our screens remained clean! Well, we recently spend 9/10 days in SW Scotland. Travelled up the A1 to Scotch Corner and then turned left along the A66 to Penrith for our first overnight stop. By the time we got there our windscreen was plastered with insects. Not so many around Scotland, but on the return, south from Moffat to Carlisle and then along Hadrians Wall to the A1. By the time we reached the A1, again the screen was splattered. So I just wondered if may be insects were returning? Although it has been a real pain to get them off the van - windscreen, Sky roof (which I cant really reach), lights, number plate, even the front of the awning cassette, and the front to the step cassette!!

 

[ronidog1]

I wish they were. My moth and butterfly counts are very low this year in comparison to previous ones.

 

[PaulyP]

What’s the last thing that goes through a fly’s brain when it hits the windscreen
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.his backside

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[Lenny HB]

Our recent trip to Spain down through France we could hardly see out of the windscreen due to the amount of splattered insects at times. Not seen it like that for a few years.

 

[Gromett]

Just seen an article about this. Apparently scientists did a bug survey and found that there has not been a huge reduction. The reason we see fewer on our windscreens is a combination of higher traffic levels so the bugs are split between more vehicles and modern vehicles are more aerodynamic so the wind pushes them over the top. I tend to concur as I drove out last week and my windscreen was an absolute mess.

That all said, I am sure farmers increased use of pesticides can't be helping the population much.

 

[philann]

That all said, I am sure farmers increased use of pesticides can't be helping the population much.

Generally farmers are using fewer pesticides now

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[Muddywheeler]

That’s right farmers are using less pesticides and also leave buffer zones around the edges of fields to reduce the risk to non target insects.

 

[Guigsy]

I've not seen any recovery in the UK yet. We've been leaving the back door open all day and not getting flies in the house. No issues with clearing insects in the van either. Very few windscreen splats on our travels. Did a 70km 'lost lanes' bike ride last weekend around the River Severn and saw very little wildlife. Reports of birds like bluetits losing chicks from starvation. I'm pretty concerned.

 

[dryad]

noticed a lot more beautiful dragon flies around the lakes down here and thankfully very, very few wasps, this was last year, otherwise i didn't take much notice of anything else insectwise..
i will try and do better this year..

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[Odd job]

We have more flys indoors this year than I remember for some time.

 

[rosalan]

250 miles, windscreen still clean except one bird poo

 

[chaser]

We have more flys indoors this year than I remember for some time.

Three days fly's in our kitchen

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[dryad]

Three days fly's in our kitchen
View attachment 760527

i'm sorry, but good grief, thats awful, but then you do live on a farm i understand so maybe expected in that circumstance..

i rarely get flies indoors, if one does come in it gets ordered back out again and that usually works apart from those buggers that buzz, buzz, buzz they're not so easy to shoo out..

.

 

[jockaneezer]

I think the boxer shorts are attracting them !

On a similar theme, this is the first year we haven't had any Swifts flying around the village, we used to get a dozen or so screeching around of an evening, swallow numbers are also down by a considerable amount.

 

[chaser]

I think the boxer shorts are attracting them !

On a similar theme, this is the first year we haven't had any Swifts flying around the village, we used to get a dozen or so screeching around of an evening, swallow numbers are also down by a considerable amount.

We used to have half a dozen swallows in the barn, this last two years we haven't even see one fly over.

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[PaulyP]

i'm sorry, but good grief, thats awful, but then you do live on a farm i understand so maybe expected in that circumstance..

i rarely get flies indoors, if one does come in it gets ordered back out again and that usually works apart from those buggers that buzz, buzz, buzz they're not so easy to shoo out..

.

Can somebody explain to me that when a fly comes in through an open door it can’t find the open door to get out, had one earlier battering itself on a window when the open door is next to it !

 

[dryad]

jockaneezer and chaser , swallows and swifts not been around? wonder if 'tis anything to do with bird flu in the countries they have overwintered in or travelled through?

that is sad to hear, they are usually such reliable visitors..

.

 

[SpeedyDux]

This is the 2nd year I have seen so few pollinators in my garden. Hardly a single bee. Only 2 butterflies so far. Terrible.

There is an apple tree next door that overhangs my fence. 2 years ago I was plagued by windfall apples that I had to clear up. Last year that apple tree flowered but there was not even one apple on it. A total pollination failure. This year there are flowers again ... flowering nearly over ... no bees so I expect there will be no apples.

What on earth is going on?

I suspect that the local insectivorous wild birds and bats are having a hard time. Their numbers may well crash too.

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[PP Bear]

I think the boxer shorts are attracting them !

On a similar theme, this is the first year we haven't had any Swifts flying around the village, we used to get a dozen or so screeching around of an evening, swallow numbers are also down by a considerable amount.

Thought the same, maybe they need washing before hanging out

 

[bigalw35]

Our recent trip to Spain down through France we could hardly see out of the windscreen due to the amount of splattered insects at times. Not seen it like that for a few years.

it's the same in Germany

 

[PP Bear]

Had a nasty experience with an insect just last week and it was pretty awful.
There was a really loud banging at the front door and when I opened it, the biggest beetle you’ve ever seen, set about me. I mean this thing was a good 6 foot tall and with so many legs, there was no way I could even begin to defend myself and took quite a beating.

I ended up in A&E and when I spoke to the doctor, he told me there was a really nasty bug going around.

Now, where’s me coat

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[Odd job]

Had a nasty experience with an insect just last week and it was pretty awful.
There was a really loud banging at the front door and when I opened it, the biggest beetle you’ve ever seen, set about me. I mean this thing was a good 6 foot tall and with so many legs, there was no way I could even begin to defend myself and took quite a beating.

I ended up in A&E and when I spoke to the doctor, he told me there was a really nasty bug going around.

Now, where’s me coat

 

[PP Bear]

 

[dryad]

i thought the same then thought, poor sod, he probably hasn't had his medication yet this morning..

.

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[Lenny HB]

Had a nasty experience with an insect just last week and it was pretty awful.
There was a really loud banging at the front door and when I opened it, the biggest beetle you’ve ever seen, set about me. I mean this thing was a good 6 foot tall and with so many legs, there was no way I could even begin to defend myself and took quite a beating.

I ended up in A&E and when I spoke to the doctor, he told me there was a really nasty bug going around.

Now, where’s me coat

Have you been at Old-Mo's joke books?

 

[Gromett]

Loads and loads of birds round here and right next to farm land. All varieties of tits, goldfinches, blackbirds, Woodpeckers, owls, wrens, robins, sparrows and many more. Oh and effing pigeons.
The Swallows turn up regular as clockwork and spend ages hoovering up the flying insects and making babies.

 

[philann]

The early part of the year was colder and wetter which has a major impact on insects. Last year we had lots of bees earlier coinciding with flowers opening, this year all the flowers are late and the bees are only just appearing.

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[Elsie2010]

Many of us of a certain age will remember windscreens etc splattered with insects as soon as you drove out into the countryside. Since then we have killed of many insects and our screens remained clean! Well, we recently spend 9/10 days in SW Scotland. Travelled up the A1 to Scotch Corner and then turned left along the A66 to Penrith for our first overnight stop. By the time we got there our windscreen was plastered with insects. Not so many around Scotland, but on the return, south from Moffat to Carlisle and then along Hadrians Wall to the A1. By the time we reached the A1, again the screen was splattered. So I just wondered if may be insects were returning? Although it has been a real pain to get them off the van - windscreen, Sky roof (which I cant really reach), lights, number plate, even the front of the awning cassette, and the front to the step cassette!!

I thought this was just me...drove 9hrs (inc there and back) and ending up depleting the whole insect population by half!
Mr Elsie was not best pleased de-insecting the windscreen and mirror guards....as soon as they splattered on, they baked on...no amount of windscreen wiper washing would remove them!

 

[Cookieboy68]

Many of us of a certain age will remember windscreens etc splattered with insects as soon as you drove out into the countryside. Since then we have killed of many insects and our screens remained clean! Well, we recently spend 9/10 days in SW Scotland. Travelled up the A1 to Scotch Corner and then turned left along the A66 to Penrith for our first overnight stop. By the time we got there our windscreen was plastered with insects. Not so many around Scotland, but on the return, south from Moffat to Carlisle and then along Hadrians Wall to the A1. By the time we reached the A1, again the screen was splattered. So I just wondered if may be insects were returning? Although it has been a real pain to get them off the van - windscreen, Sky roof (which I cant really reach), lights, number plate, even the front of the awning cassette, and the front to the step cassette!!

Exactly the same for us ,same journey, same places,had to clean the screen 3 times in 2 weeks

 

[Just smiffy]

I’m in Blanes Spain and on the beach there’s some blue tits but loads of red tits…..

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