OT - Where are the bugs?

Steve in VA

Well-known Member

Location

Natural Bridge Virginia

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

For 20 plus seasons any outside light after sunset would instantly collect a cloud of moths and small flying insects. I mean a huge cloud. Until last year. Last year there were almost none. This year is the same. Only a single moth attracted to the flood lights last evening. So, what's changed? I can't say its been any wetter, drier, hotter, or colder. There are still bats around every evening but they can't eat that many moths. The only change that I can point towards is the explosion of stink bugs 3 years ago. But, I have no idea if this correlation equates to causality. Honestly, I don't see how it could. Also, here it is the first week of June and not the first lightening bug.

Let the theories fly.

 

R

Rex Simpkins

Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

There all up here on the Eastern Shore, my bug light looks like someone welding all night

 

Ultradog MN

Well-known Member

Location

Twin Cities

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

Maybe you people who have bug lights killed them all.

 

O

oliverplow

Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

I think they are all in MN! In the morning, the gnats are so bad you can't hardly stand it outside.

 

R

RMinVa

Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

We have plenty here on the southside. Drive at night and splattered all over windshield. Lightening bugs have been out here for the last 4 weeks. That use to be a June thing here.

 

B

Bonnan

Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

Steve, same thing happening here in West Pa. Incredible drop off over the years. No brainer to me with all the increase in pesticide use over the same time period.

 

I

Ivan in Mich

Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

I will gladly send you some if you want them. Our bug light has a tray under it and I have to empty it very couple days because it is full of skeeters

 

SweetFeet

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

I'll second that... we have plenty of 'em here too!

Should be plentiful supply of mosquitoes soon too with all the rain we've had these last weeks.

 

D

David G

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

We have plenty of gnats, have not seen any moths.

 

B

blue water massey

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

what type of lights do you use
around my place we have a number of outdoor lights
old style incandescents have lots n lots of bugs around them
fluorescent bulbs have a lot less
and L E D's hardly a bug near them

 

D

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

I don't really know for sure but I suspect it is something with GMO's. There are fewer mosquitoes this year as it is so dry here. Other than that normal.

 

1

1948CaseVAI

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

I drove 250 miles in western Kansas last week for memorial day and think I got them all on my windshield and front bumper. The crop of smashed bugs looked the same as 40 years ago to me.

 

O

oldtanker

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

Way down here too. But we have guys in the area spraying beans for aphides every year plus the state spraying some of the marsh grounds because of West Nile spread by them darned skeeters.

This year is a bit different. Got warm, bumped 80/85 a couple of times. The insects started to come out then one morning it was 21 degrees. I've been bitten by one skeeter this year to date.

Rick

 

S

ss55

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

That's interesting! Are bugs drawn to infrared and low temperature light? Most incandescent lights are around 2700K spectrum, some fluorescent and LED lights are 3500K to over 5000K. What spectrum are the fluorescent and LED lights that you use?

 

G

Greg K

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

Not many at my house this year either, guess I chalked it up to it being so cool and wet all spring. I expect there to be more when it finally warms up.

 

M

Mike M

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

The front of my car has plenty on it ! The Funk bottoms in Ohio is really full of bugs. I think I heard the 17 yr. cicadas down there too ?

 

T

T.R.K.

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2016

• #1

I live about 40 miles East of Charlotte, NC. Like you, I remember the moths (We called them candle flies back in my childhood because they were always drawn to lights.) Not as much a problem any more.
It rained last night and about 10 p.m. after the rain I saw my first lightning bug.

I remember reading that someone thought their population was declining because of all the manmade lights. Seems they get confused and they can't find their lady friends-the glow worms- on the ground.

 

B

blue water massey

Well-known Member

• Jun 5, 2016

• #1

no idea on the spectrum of the lights
but I'm changing over to LED's anywhere close to the house and yard and incandescents towards the outer areas to draw the bugs away
fluorescent take to long in the cold to light up and I've found they don't last in outdoor settings
I've been buying Philps brand LED flood style lights for most of the security lights
started 3 yrs ago and haven't burned one out yet and they are all dusk to dawn to start with so far
going to do all the outdoor house lights soon
will leave only 4 outer perimeter lights to attract bugs away from our sitting area

 

T in NE

Well-known Member

Location

Cambridge, Nebraska

• Jun 5, 2016

• #1

Temperature. They are attracted to the heat.