SomeAmateur@sh.itjust.works
on 21 Jul 18:44
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People: Why are bees and fireflies dying in droves?
Also People: Better hose my yard with chemicals and mount floodlights until it looks like a baseball stadium
CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de
on 21 Jul 19:01
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I love spending time in my garden watching the butterflies and bees, but gosh the mosquitoes are terrible, better spray them with a residual effect insecticide.
what happened to the birds and butterflies and bees?
Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone
on 21 Jul 19:11
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The worst part of that is that it’s super easy to deal with mosquitos with a dunk that doesn’t hurt anything but mosquito larvae.
Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone
on 21 Jul 19:19
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PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world
on 21 Jul 23:28
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Thanks for the TLDR. Dragonflies are the worlds most efficient hunters.
You mentioned that you “use” them. Do you introduce them or do they exist naturally where you are? If so, are there ways to increase their numbers? We have some dragonflies, but we have far more mosquitoes! Just curious.
I’ve planted 4 “ponds” in the yard, 10G to 150G, loaded with native plants, even the carnivorous sort! LOL, one is a buried 75G trash can.
The open water alone will attract them, but be aware, it takes 2 years for the underwater nymphs to reach adulthood and start combat air patrol. And then only for 30 days.
More on the ponds: I rinsed and dropped a layer of cheap pea gravel in there for a substrate. I usually grab my own stuff like that, but there isn’t much in the way of rock in NW Florida, shit’s cheap enough. Didn’t add dirt, the plants I dug up along the rivers, creeks and swamps added enough. Besides, leaves, dead bugs, etc., all turn into dirt soon enough.
Seems pretty healthy! Not sure about the 10G, too small for an ecosystem, but the others are LOADED with tadpoles. My yard is the only reason we have frogs again. LOL, they annoy my wife at night. WAAAAK! WAAAAHAAAAK!
Be super happy to talk to anyone wanting to learn more or teach me!
PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world
on 22 Jul 03:09
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Thank you for the comprehensive reply! I am curious: do the ponds not produce mosquitoes as well?
I live on a hillside and creating water spots might get tricky on our rocky soil. It could be done I suppose, but it’ll have to be the next place to try.
The forest must help. We have some thick western red cedar groves and do have a lot of dragonflies at times, but no water other than birdbaths. I love seeing them scanning the hillside and the few flat spots we have. I’m always rooting for them. Funny about the frogs. I like em too, but we don’t see many. Lizards and snakes mostly.
Yes, the mosquitoes lay eggs in the little ponds. I sincerely wish them well!
But here’s the trick, the fish, dragonfly nymphs and tadpoles EAT them! Hell, the tadpoles and friends even eat the algae that naturally grows. Water’s clear! No pump!
The thing is avoiding tiny bits of water where the larvae are left alone, old tires and the like. Give nature a chance in a fair-sized pond, nature does the rest.
Best thing I learned this year was when I buried the 150G pond; nature takes over fast. I expected it to be a muddy mess for a year and more. Nope! Water is crystal clear and loaded with tadpoles! Lord knows what else is in there, but the plants I snatched off the rivers and creeks are thriving already! Took a knife and chopped and planted a load of bamboo off the 10G pond today. Bamboo’s fun to build with.
I mentioned fish. Well, I threw some feeder goldfish in my home ponds and some (best I could figure) native mosquito-eating fish in my swamp ponds. No care, no food, a few seem to be hanging in there. Hard to tell in the deeper ponds and natural ponds, they dive deep to avoid the heat and predators. Whatever. Fish are good. And they’re .10 pence.
That’s a lot of exclamation points. Fuck me. I’m excited to talk about it. I’m regenerating my local ecosystem! I’ve failed a time or three. God knows what happened to the crawdads I seeded. Whatever.
Other measure for mosquitoes when you have stagnant water you cant put fish in or remove, such as the water that pools in banana plants and bird baths’ mosquito bits. They’re like small rocks carrying a spore that kills mosquito larva, and it seems harmless, at least it is to frogs.
If you were able to target it properly to the right species, depending on where you are in the world, there’s a good chance that the rats and sparrows you’re thinking of are invasive.
I know around me in the US I see a whole lot more house sparrows (native to Europe, Asia, and some parts of North Africa) than I do any native Sparrows.
And the two most known rat species- the black and brown rats, originated in different parts of Asia and more-or-less spread around the world with human trade and migration.
So getting rid of those would probably be a good thing to reduce competition for native animals.
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
on 22 Jul 18:22
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also worth noting that i don’t think anyone who has seen people suffering from malaria would be able to defend mosquitoes, that shit fucking sucks and eradicating malaria-carrying mosquitoes is 500% worth the consequences
atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works
on 21 Jul 21:25
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Ugh. We have spent so much on blackout curtains because of our neighbor’s insistence on having outdoor lights on all night. Same neighbor who once said to me “I just hate clover, don’t you?”…
captainlezbian@lemmy.world
on 22 Jul 08:54
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Motherfucker, how do they manage to hate clover? Its a nitrogen fixing ground cover that looks and smells good and is good for pollinators
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
on 22 Jul 18:24
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clover grows easily, so it doesn’t indicate that you’re spending time and effort maintaining it, and it doesn’t let you appear rich and Proper
LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net
on 21 Jul 22:04
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End of last year I moved back to Ohio. Bought a rural home on 5 acres of land and 3.5 acres of it is woodland that we intend to keep wild.
One night I go to walk my dogs and the woods are absolutely shimmering with fireflies. Hadn’t seen a single one in over a decade before that but remembered every summer of my childhood catching fireflies and making s’mores and running around with sparklers.
It was beautiful. It still is, they are still out every night lighting up the dark.
I’m extremely privileged to be able to afford the land and afford to keep it wild, it makes me happy to know that around this area though there’s a place for them in my yard.
only_in_ohio@sh.itjust.works
on 22 Jul 22:08
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It’s awesome to see someone use their privilege to give the land (and the bugs) a break!
muntedcrocodile@hilariouschaos.com
on 21 Jul 23:24
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Have u noticed u don’t get flies and insects smashing into ur windshield anymore? It used to happen all the time but its really really rare now.
Perhaps its all these chemicals used in monocrop agriculture raping the land that’s killing everything.
onslaught545@lemmy.zip
on 22 Jul 03:15
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Global warming isn’t helping either.
muntedcrocodile@hilariouschaos.com
on 22 Jul 03:21
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I believe warmer climates are actually beneficial for some if not most bugs. As it extends the amount if time that’s warmer where they remain viable.
luxyr42@lemmy.dormedas.com
on 22 Jul 05:47
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Doesn’t just affect temperature, though. Precipitation can change a lot and make an area less viable for native insects.
kameecoding@lemmy.world
on 22 Jul 05:57
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I read this comment years ago on reddit, and since then here in Europe it feels like the amount of bugs on my car is increasing.
starlinguk@lemmy.world
on 22 Jul 09:16
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In the UK my windscreen was squeaky clean, in Brandenburg it was full of bugs in no time, here in Baden-Württemberg it’s clean again. I see vinyards spraying far too often. The normal farms are excellent here, with small fields, crop rotation and few pesticides, but screw the vinyards.
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
on 22 Jul 18:31
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here in sweden i keep fucking getting insects blatting me in the face while cycling, and my body is absolutely covered in tiny flies/gnats after a ride
threaded - newest
People: Why are bees and fireflies dying in droves?
Also People: Better hose my yard with chemicals and mount floodlights until it looks like a baseball stadium
The worst part of that is that it’s super easy to deal with mosquitos with a dunk that doesn’t hurt anything but mosquito larvae.
Theres also the disney world methods.
www.rd.com/…/no-mosquitoes-at-disney-world/
That’s a load of reading to say:
No stagnant water.
Spray mild garlic extract.
I use dragonflies.
Thanks for the TLDR. Dragonflies are the worlds most efficient hunters.
You mentioned that you “use” them. Do you introduce them or do they exist naturally where you are? If so, are there ways to increase their numbers? We have some dragonflies, but we have far more mosquitoes! Just curious.
I’ve planted 4 “ponds” in the yard, 10G to 150G, loaded with native plants, even the carnivorous sort! LOL, one is a buried 75G trash can.
The open water alone will attract them, but be aware, it takes 2 years for the underwater nymphs to reach adulthood and start combat air patrol. And then only for 30 days.
Great YT short on a guy using them to protect his cattle!
Would you like to know more? Probably my best lemmy post, all about dragonfly love. Get some!
More on the ponds: I rinsed and dropped a layer of cheap pea gravel in there for a substrate. I usually grab my own stuff like that, but there isn’t much in the way of rock in NW Florida, shit’s cheap enough. Didn’t add dirt, the plants I dug up along the rivers, creeks and swamps added enough. Besides, leaves, dead bugs, etc., all turn into dirt soon enough.
Seems pretty healthy! Not sure about the 10G, too small for an ecosystem, but the others are LOADED with tadpoles. My yard is the only reason we have frogs again. LOL, they annoy my wife at night. WAAAAK! WAAAAHAAAAK!
Be super happy to talk to anyone wanting to learn more or teach me!
Thank you for the comprehensive reply! I am curious: do the ponds not produce mosquitoes as well?
I live on a hillside and creating water spots might get tricky on our rocky soil. It could be done I suppose, but it’ll have to be the next place to try.
The forest must help. We have some thick western red cedar groves and do have a lot of dragonflies at times, but no water other than birdbaths. I love seeing them scanning the hillside and the few flat spots we have. I’m always rooting for them. Funny about the frogs. I like em too, but we don’t see many. Lizards and snakes mostly.
Thanks for the Ted talk! 😂
Yes, the mosquitoes lay eggs in the little ponds. I sincerely wish them well!
But here’s the trick, the fish, dragonfly nymphs and tadpoles EAT them! Hell, the tadpoles and friends even eat the algae that naturally grows. Water’s clear! No pump!
The thing is avoiding tiny bits of water where the larvae are left alone, old tires and the like. Give nature a chance in a fair-sized pond, nature does the rest.
Best thing I learned this year was when I buried the 150G pond; nature takes over fast. I expected it to be a muddy mess for a year and more. Nope! Water is crystal clear and loaded with tadpoles! Lord knows what else is in there, but the plants I snatched off the rivers and creeks are thriving already! Took a knife and chopped and planted a load of bamboo off the 10G pond today. Bamboo’s fun to build with.
I mentioned fish. Well, I threw some feeder goldfish in my home ponds and some (best I could figure) native mosquito-eating fish in my swamp ponds. No care, no food, a few seem to be hanging in there. Hard to tell in the deeper ponds and natural ponds, they dive deep to avoid the heat and predators. Whatever. Fish are good. And they’re .10 pence.
That’s a lot of exclamation points. Fuck me. I’m excited to talk about it. I’m regenerating my local ecosystem! I’ve failed a time or three. God knows what happened to the crawdads I seeded. Whatever.
I hope youre prepared for what managing bamboo entails.
Other measure for mosquitoes when you have stagnant water you cant put fish in or remove, such as the water that pools in banana plants and bird baths’ mosquito bits. They’re like small rocks carrying a spore that kills mosquito larva, and it seems harmless, at least it is to frogs.
<img alt="" src="https://mander.xyz/pictrs/image/aa4d4bb2-6625-4a50-9b51-b5865f301fca.jpeg">
What’s the worst that could happen if we eradicate all the rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows?
If you were able to target it properly to the right species, depending on where you are in the world, there’s a good chance that the rats and sparrows you’re thinking of are invasive.
I know around me in the US I see a whole lot more house sparrows (native to Europe, Asia, and some parts of North Africa) than I do any native Sparrows.
And the two most known rat species- the black and brown rats, originated in different parts of Asia and more-or-less spread around the world with human trade and migration.
So getting rid of those would probably be a good thing to reduce competition for native animals.
also worth noting that i don’t think anyone who has seen people suffering from malaria would be able to defend mosquitoes, that shit fucking sucks and eradicating malaria-carrying mosquitoes is 500% worth the consequences
Ugh. We have spent so much on blackout curtains because of our neighbor’s insistence on having outdoor lights on all night. Same neighbor who once said to me “I just hate clover, don’t you?”…
Motherfucker, how do they manage to hate clover? Its a nitrogen fixing ground cover that looks and smells good and is good for pollinators
clover grows easily, so it doesn’t indicate that you’re spending time and effort maintaining it, and it doesn’t let you appear rich and Proper
Also paving over every square inch of the world.
Also People:
Let me install bee boxes with hundreds of thousands of invasive bees to harvest honey.
(which will obviously end up outcompeting the native ones)
and then suprised pickachu face when the natives do indeed decline after you add hundreds of thousands of invasives.
End of last year I moved back to Ohio. Bought a rural home on 5 acres of land and 3.5 acres of it is woodland that we intend to keep wild.
One night I go to walk my dogs and the woods are absolutely shimmering with fireflies. Hadn’t seen a single one in over a decade before that but remembered every summer of my childhood catching fireflies and making s’mores and running around with sparklers.
It was beautiful. It still is, they are still out every night lighting up the dark.
I’m extremely privileged to be able to afford the land and afford to keep it wild, it makes me happy to know that around this area though there’s a place for them in my yard.
It’s awesome to see someone use their privilege to give the land (and the bugs) a break!
Have u noticed u don’t get flies and insects smashing into ur windshield anymore? It used to happen all the time but its really really rare now.
Perhaps its all these chemicals used in monocrop agriculture raping the land that’s killing everything.
Global warming isn’t helping either.
I believe warmer climates are actually beneficial for some if not most bugs. As it extends the amount if time that’s warmer where they remain viable.
Doesn’t just affect temperature, though. Precipitation can change a lot and make an area less viable for native insects.
Not if it starts killing off plants.
I read this comment years ago on reddit, and since then here in Europe it feels like the amount of bugs on my car is increasing.
In the UK my windscreen was squeaky clean, in Brandenburg it was full of bugs in no time, here in Baden-Württemberg it’s clean again. I see vinyards spraying far too often. The normal farms are excellent here, with small fields, crop rotation and few pesticides, but screw the vinyards.
here in sweden i keep fucking getting insects blatting me in the face while cycling, and my body is absolutely covered in tiny flies/gnats after a ride
Le Mans was pretty extreme for midges this year. The drivers had frequent visibility problems.
I wonder if that has anything to do with the changing of vehicle shapes over the years.
Here much of the beeocide is heat related colony collapse