Bats and Midges the lack of

Stewart J

Stewart J

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Since September 2010
For 27 years I have taken part in the Bat Monitoring/Survey, we did have bats in our roof 15 years @go 300 was a maximum count. Numbers have steadily declined this last few years and so have the Midges. No bats tonight and very few Midges despite it being warm and very calm. In past years I would have a fleece gloves and a midge net over my face, tonight sitting here in a tee shirt, yes there are a few Midges about but not enough to make life uncomfortable. This coupled with a low numbers of insects in the garden and bug strike on the car and van is all a bit worrying for our futures.
 
We have a couple of bats, have you planted the right things in your garden. The midges do seem to like the Hawthorn, Elderberry, Blackthorn, Hazel.

Everything seems to be declining though, its a common theme, not quite as many Curlews this year up here, Redshank seem to be down as well.

Good news is we have a Stoat in the garden this year with young but not seen as many Adders either.

Humans have a lot to answer for.
 
I live in a very rural tiny village on the bank of the South Tyne Paul our garden has been well established for many years but there is a very noticeable lack of flying insects this year and bug strike on the car and moho is very low compared to previous years, all part of a worrying national trend.
 
Yes I agree Stewart, it is worrying, the reduction in insect numbers nationally, the reduction in bird numbers, everything.
We are a bit blinkered up here as it's still quite diverse, no silent spring up here, it's a huge nature reserve we live in, I come alive in spring and summer.
 
But is it a national trend, or international? - genuine question as I haven’t heard anything about elsewhere.

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The weather has been unusual this year .... heatwave in February then frost in May. Anecdotally midges have been horrendous in NW Scotland ... I’m not back up again for a couple of weeks but can tell you when I return. Our bees are unaffected ... they come to our roof for 2-3 weeks every spring to deposit pollen in between slates and around the velue windows and that happened as expected.
There are fewer swallows though ... which may link to the flying insect theory.
 
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Had more different species of birds in our garden this year than we have had for years. A couple of months ago noticed the bats flitting about.
Last few years hardly seen any swallows, use to see loads flying about over the field next to us.
As for midges never get many here as we are only a couple of hundred yards from the sea. A couple of weeks ago at the BIL's in Kent we both got loads of bites.
 
Since a derelict building was refurbished, the local bat colony has reduced in numbers

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The cooler weather coupled with the persistent rainfall has devastated insect populations resulting in very little food for birds particularly those that catch them on the wing. There are some reports of swifts abandoning the young in the nests because they know that they can't get enough insects to feed the young and themselves. Bearing in mind a solitary swift can can catch thousands of flying insects in a day.
 
We've been driving through France, down to Italy and back via Czech Republic. Currently in Germany. My windscreen washer pump failed weeks ago. There are so few bugs, I only clean the screen once every few days.

There was a study on it last year. They estimated the number of flying insects over several decades by counting the number of splats on rally and race cars. There has been a massive reduction... or bugs have suddenly got better at avoiding being squished.
 
Have notes ther hasten't Ben a thread started on removing bug's from the front of the motor so it a bit of a blessing in disguise i never clean my van so i haven't notes
bill
 
Sadly I think it's the increasing use of insecticides, although some have been banned recently.
This must have a massive detrimental effect on the food chain.
With the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, I was thinking back to summers past and remembering the huge moths that came in through any open window at night in summer. Especially 29th July 1969 for some reason, maybe I was just up for longer that night.
You just don't see those moths now :(
Not that I liked them particularly, but I'm sure the bats and birds did.
 
Habitat loss, pesticides have had a big effect on plants which in turn affects the whole Eco system.

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