Where are all the Insects ?

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Just got back from an excellent road trip : 2 weeks, 4600 km and 8 countries  ........... but ........

The windscreen and lights should have been covered in splattered insects, bugs and whatnot during the trip and I should have had to clean them off at least once but nope, not at all - there was barely anything. I remember when I started driving 30 odd years ago the screen would have been virtually impenetrable with a fair bit of graft required to clean the beggars off.

So where are the insects?

I've read a bit about this over the last few years but this is the first time I've seen it (or rather not seen it) so graphically.

Various reasons have been posited for declining insect populations : pesticides/monoculture plantings/habitat loss/mobile phone or digital signals. I'm not sure which is correct, an element of all of them I would guess but whatever the cause the implications are rather concerning because insects are an important foundation of the foodchain and are vital to pollination and the overall health of the ecosystem.

Of course insects are not cute and cuddly like polar bears or orang-utangs but this is a serious issue methinks.

[ldopas]

So where are the insects?

Well here is a take on it;

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/17/where-have-insects-gone-climate-change-population-decline

As we clog up our countryside with concrete and steel, use more pesticides and the like, we are doing damage. And you don't have to be an eco-warrior or even a climate change zealot to see that happening.

Here is my dilemma. You know, because I've posted it many times, I run my own engineering and construction company. For me its great at the moment, building is everywhere. I hate Corbyn, but even he won't probably be bad for me as he is going to borrow billions (bad for the country though), and put it into infrastructure. Yep that is me as well.

However for all those millions of "affordable houses" and HS2s and flood defenses we need for our massively expanding population, while great for me, is disastrous for our green areas and ecosystems.

I have to, I'm IEMA qualified as well, put in an environmental case in every project we do. But here is the truth. It isn't enough. Its to make the people who pay us feel better.

Now to the tricky bit. We need to stop our population growing. It is of course everyone's need to have a home, but how far do all of you want it to go. Hell I can build and cover 100% of this Island if you like so there are enough houses. Maybe I'll retire on a nice little Island in the Caribbean and leave what is left after that, as I will have a lot of the folding stuff!

But talk about border control, talk about rationing construction to let our ecosystems recover and what do you get? You get called a right wing, racist, xenophobic or a foaming at the mouth green tree hugger. What can you do?

Hell even the Greens don't talk about what is needed, but are content to push mass affordable house building. Blind to the irony that they are called the Green Party.

Its all ridiculous. but that is what political dogma does for you.

PS. Apologies if I sound a bit philosophical today. I'm taking a day at home to, believe it or not, draft something for an end of year parliamentary review on the industry I work in. I get invited to a Do apparently at the Houses of Parliament for the launch of the report in a couple of months where Nick Clegg is there, which I'm glad about as I want to kick him in the gonads! 

PPS Bet you didn't expect a rambling reply like that Anna! 

PPPS I've probably killed this thread stone dead haven't I! 

[Master Ray]

Not at all, me old mucker.  An interesting read, not afraid to mention things that might be unpopular here, and backed up with reason.  Not everyone might agree with you, but it's intelligently written and opens up the thread for further debate.

Just not from me, I'm not stupid enough to be seen to be agreeing with you about political stuff around these parts... 

(Kidding, mate...  )

[Pol]

I'm guess it's all the reasons Anna said , construction and use of the green belt sure doesn't help. To be fair I've not really noticed tho I don't drive n live in a more rural area . The Scottish midges seem to be surviving strongly the wee fckers.

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Guten abend alles 

PPS Bet you didn't expect a rambling reply like that Anna! 

Kinda hoped for one from someone 

I'd read that article before but took the chance for a re-read and it gives a good overview of an ongoing background situation. I must admit that I had been of the opinion that habitat fragmentation was the underlying cause together with intensive farming removing feed plant species but now I'm not so sure because we were partly driving through relatively "unspoilt" landscapes where these problems did not appear to be evident. However (and I'm aware this makes me sound like I've got a supply of tinfoil hats) there are mobile phone/digital signal antenna EVERYWHERE even (to coin a phrase) in the freshest mountain air  There appears to have been some research done on the effect of radiation on insects but not alot and not enough to warrant a definitive cause and effect statement. With the advent of 5G and the ever increasing connectivity required worldwide I do wonder whether we are presiding over an imminent ecological catastrophe.

As we clog up our countryside with concrete and steel, use more pesticides and the like, we are doing damage. And you don't have to be an eco-warrior or even a climate change zealot to see that happening.

Totally agree dude  but shite choice of words there fella (i'll come back to that). That damage you mention is real, trouble is by and large it's not seen or felt in daily life but below the surface it's there progressively getting worse and with ever more serious long term consequences.

Now to the tricky bit. We need to stop our population growing. It is of course everyone's need to have a home, but how far do all of you want it to go. Hell I can build and cover 100% of this Island if you like so there are enough houses.

This is a bit of an elephant in the room for many issues as the population that the planet can support is not infinite and to state that should really be a non-controversy but it does seem to escape many people and perhaps the UK is a good example as it is, as you say, an Island without large expanses of empty land - jesus in America there a places in the middle of nowhere that don't have a name but are just called "Populated Place" :not, I would venture a situation that arises in the UK - Increased population inevitably requires increased resource consumption and land use. It seems to me that there is a lack of comprehension that this means reduced land left as "natural" and that "natural" doesn't just mean lovely green things it means functioning eco-systems carrying out the critical roles they play in a dynamic landscape without which the risk of a breakdown or catastrophic failure increases. A recognition of this fundamental fact is long overdue within both the UK and globally but that's a whole other dissertation 

But talk about border control, talk about rationing construction to let our ecosystems recover and what do you get? You get called a right wing, racist, xenophobic or a foaming at the mouth green tree hugger. What can you do?

Again, I totally agree with you here fella  but (back to that choice of words again) do you really not think that using terms like  eco-warrior, and climate change zealot are exactly what you are complaining about? I'm with you re: political dogma because I don't see how issues regarding the ecosystems we rely on for life can be reduced to politics, they sit beyond it : don't matter if you're red blue yellow green or black the fundamentals of life remain the same.

Not at all, me old mucker.  An interesting read, not afraid to mention things that might be unpopular here, and backed up with reason.  Not everyone might agree with you, but it's intelligently written and opens up the thread for further debate.

Totally agree 

The Scottish midges seem to be surviving strongly the wee fckers.

Perhaps they're a bit like cockroaches - would survive a nuclear war 

Bit surprised to find so much agreement in this here reply but I'm sure it's only temporary - think brexit might be cropping up again over the next few months ............................. 

oh and ....

where Nick Clegg is there, which I'm glad about as I want to kick him in the gonads! 

give that Tommy Tucker one from me too and say love from 2010 

[Whirlwind]

Why sound so glum in your post "Where are all the insects?"
That's a good thing that those annoying little brainless creatures are being eradicated.

Hey, I love all living creatures (even that creature Master Ray), but insects? They are dust. Wipe them away.

[ldopas]

I'm guess it's all the reasons Anna said , construction and use of the green belt sure doesn't help. To be fair I've not really noticed tho I don't drive n live in a more rural area . The Scottish midges seem to be surviving strongly the wee fckers.

Then I'd strongly recommend a brilliant product Pol, and its Scottish, we use to keep the bastard midges away when we work outside as we do a lot. And it works brilliantly. It is call Smidge That Midge and you ca but it on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Smidge-Midge-Insect-Repellent-75/dp/B00413715E/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1538730523&sr=8-1&keywords=smidge+that+midge

[ldopas]

Again, I totally agree with you here fella  but (back to that choice of words again) do you really not think that using terms like  eco-warrior, and climate change zealot are exactly what you are complaining about?

Yep, perhaps those phrases are extreme. But there ARE zealots out there. I'm not advocating that we go back to dung and carts, but some virtually are. Those are who I refer to. Also yep, maybe a bit extreme, but that is just the world I live and work in. But we seem to agree for once Anna, and that in itself is a marvel! 

[ldopas]

Why sound so glum in your post "Where are all the insects?"
That's a good thing that those annoying little brainless creatures are being eradicated.

Hey, I love all living creatures (even that creature Master Ray), but insects? They are dust. Wipe them away.

I'm assuming this is said jokingly. Even the most disgusting creature is a cog in the fragile ecosystem that keeps this planet habitable! Do we want to take the chance? 

[Ghosttrain]

Just Spacewind being a wind up merchant as usual ?............

[Whirlwind]

...Even the most disgusting creature is a cog in the fragile ecosystem that keeps this planet habitable! Do we want to take the chance? 

I agree. Insects must serve some purpose. As I suppose Master Ray does. We must learn to tolerate and live with all.

[Bunny]

Tons of Ladybirds in these parts. Barely seen a Wasp all summer though. Which is a plus. Aggressive buggers.
Are they called Jaspers anywhere else or is it a Black Country thing?

[Ghosttrain]

I was born in East Midlands and don't remember anyone calling them Jaspers,as you suggest probably a Black Country thing.I think it makes them sound quite lovely in a country bumpkin sort of way............whichTHEY AINT.........  

[Bunny]

I was born in East Midlands and don't remember anyone calling them Jaspers,as you suggest probably a Black Country thing.I think it makes them sound quite lovely in a country bumpkin sort of way............whichTHEY AINT.........  

To be fair, neither are we....although there are two farms in my big urban area!!

[Ghosttrain]

I was not suggesting you were..........Jaspers just sounds like a very bucolic description.