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re: Wow! I saw my first lightning bug in years!
Posted on 6/10/24 at 7:55 pm to SwampyWaters
Posted on 6/10/24 at 7:55 pm to SwampyWaters
heck we get several diff ones here all summer long
1
Posted on 6/10/24 at 8:45 pm to SwampyWaters
quote:
He said the city knew upfront that the pesticide could harm certain bugs, but they figured it was more important to the citizens that they do something about the mosquito problem. I guess I could see that happening because mosquitos down here are just about everywhere.
Of course these insecticides harm other bugs. Study after study has proven it, and more thorough studies are ongoing.
The same active ingredient, or family of insecticides, used by many mosquito companies and cities is also used in agricultural applications, the main difference being the concentration. It all hinges on the assumption/hope that municipalities, commercial pest control companies, and private individuals use the product as labeled, both in concentration used and method (time of day, regularity of application, and being mindful of drift mainly) it is applied.
At a certain concentration a given pesticide will kill certain insects. Product labels list the insects that the listed concentration is intended to kill, meaning that the insects listed on a given label aren't the only insects that can be harmed/killed by the insecticide. Look deeper at other products with the same active ingredient at a different concentration and you'll see a much broader group of insects listed. That's why following the label matters, and that it all hinges on the assumption/hope that whoever is applying the product follows the label.
And back to those studies mentioned earlier. They're mainly geared towards the impact on pollinators, almost exclusively the western honey bee and the guidance is extrapolated to all native bees and pollinators. That's problematic for a variety of reasons, one of the most important being that the social existence of the non-native western honey bee (living in hives with a complex job-oriented division of labor) insulates them from the worst impacts of insecticide exposure. Native bees are mostly solitary and simply don't have near the buffer that non-native Western honeybees have. And that's just concerning the bees. Other pollinators, butterflies, moths, beetles, are at an even greater risk. There are really only a handful of butterfly and moth species that are truly economically impactful to agricultural crops, but the same mechanism that kills them can kill most of the rest.
Another issue is that it isn't just an agricultural issue, or an issue with municipal spraying, but a homeowner issue, too. American homeowners use more chemicals per acre than farmers do, and in some studies/surveys it isn't all that close. That leads to a cumulative problem when it comes to insecticides, especially. There are other issues that can arise from the overuse of fungicides and herbicides, but they wouldn't be as impactful if insecticide use wasn't such an issue.
Just take a ride on a Summer evening around this time. Ride out in the country, even. When you get home take a look at your car's windshield and grille. Compare what you see to what you saw as a child, recall your Pops bitching about having to clean all the bugs off the windshield just to see. It is true that is anecdotal, but it is an observation that is getting harder and harder for people to ignore.
Posted on 6/11/24 at 6:05 am to SwampyWaters
A few years ago there were plenty in my backyard. I don't remember seeing any last year. I saw one Sunday evening. Hopefully more start popping up.
Posted on 6/11/24 at 8:33 am to bbvdd
quote:
I was at my farm last Friday hunting (predator) and they were everywhere. I was really shocked at the number of them that were out.
Do you get them around where you live in Collierville? We see tons of them every evening on Memphis National.
Posted on 6/11/24 at 2:00 pm to Cracker
One of life's great simple pleasures. Watching fireflies over a country meadow or pasture.
Posted on 6/11/24 at 9:56 pm to RogerTheShrubber
I looked through my iNaturalist observations and last year I saw three, maybe four, different species of lightning bugs at my place in North AL. Tonight I got pics of the Common Eastern Firefly to make it four or five species. I say that because one ID is tricky.
The Common Eastern Firefly is the most common species seen in the Southeast.
The Common Eastern Firefly is the most common species seen in the Southeast.
Posted on 6/11/24 at 10:03 pm to Loup
Well bad news to report - last two nights not one lightning bug, but the cicadas were in full force. It was so loud last night, it was like they were screaming. I've never heard them so loud, ever, and that was a little freaky. Tonight, they were out again, but not nearly as loud. And yep, not one freaking lightning bug!
Posted on 6/11/24 at 10:15 pm to LegendInMyMind
quote:
Another issue is that it isn't just an agricultural issue, or an issue with municipal spraying, but a homeowner issue, too. American homeowners use more chemicals per acre than farmers do, and in some studies/surveys it isn't all that close.
Holy crap, that's a little scary! I never even considered the amount homeowners use, but that is alarming. I have a neighbor down the street that is always spraying in his yard, but his yard is immaculate. That reminds me of a few years ago - we all back up to a small patch of woods - he wanted to clear out the underbrush in his woods so he sprayed something strong because he killed the underbrush and a lot of trees in the process. I guess with the city spraying, and the homeowners also, it makes sense why we are rarely seeing them anymore.
Posted on 6/11/24 at 10:34 pm to SwampyWaters
There is a non-profit group that I follow called The Xerces Society. They're focused on the conservation of all native invertebrates from butterflies to clams and mussels. They have specialists and volunteers that work for and with them in different areas of interest across the country. They have a podcast called Bug Banter. One episode focuses on mosquitoes and mosquito management. One part of the episode touched on a study they have currently underway in three states that, maybe for the first time, is trying to quantify and understand the threat of drift from mosquito fogging. They got homeowners, some who get their property treated often and some who never get theirs treated, to volunteer for the study. Some neighbors volunteered, so they will have data from one property with regular treatment and data from an adjoining property with no treatment.
They were just getting through the first phase of the study, so there was minimal concrete findings when they recorded the episode.
It is a well done podcast. One of the first episodes is titled "Vanishing Wings: A Call to Action", and it lays out some of the bigger issues we have going forward. The episodes about native bees are good, too. Definitely worth the time if you're at all interested.
They were just getting through the first phase of the study, so there was minimal concrete findings when they recorded the episode.
It is a well done podcast. One of the first episodes is titled "Vanishing Wings: A Call to Action", and it lays out some of the bigger issues we have going forward. The episodes about native bees are good, too. Definitely worth the time if you're at all interested.
Posted on 6/12/24 at 12:58 pm to LegendInMyMind
quote:
It is a well done podcast. One of the first episodes is titled "Vanishing Wings: A Call to Action", and it lays out some of the bigger issues we have going forward. The episodes about native bees are good, too. Definitely worth the time if you're at all interested.
Thanks for info and I'm definitely going to go watch it. As I've gotten older, I find myself noticing things that I took for granted as a kid and now they no longer exist. Growing up, these lightning bugs were everywhere and offered a lot of entertainment for everyone.
A couple of weeks ago, I went for a walk/run at a local park and were shocked that they had no merry-go-rounds anywhere at this large city park. Apparently, I found out that many cities across the country no longer allow merry-go-rounds due to kids getting injured. I was shocked they were no longer around because I did notice they still had those metal slides that were 600 degrees and were absolute torture on the backside of your legs!
Yep, those were the good old days!
Posted on 6/12/24 at 3:03 pm to SwampyWaters
I didn't know if they had the podcast on YouTube or not, but they do.
The Vanishing Wings episode:
The Vanishing Wings episode:
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