I'm not sure how much of a decline there has been in New Zealand. Certainly, some of our native insects are endangered by introduced mammals like rats, mice and hedgehogs. (Non-native) honeybees have also declined due to the varroa mite. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, seem to be doing well.
Living in rural NE Georgia, Ive noticed the lack of bug smears on the windshield for several years now.
What’s even more disturbing to me is the the almost complete disappearance of frogs and toads on the roads. Ten years ago when a typical late afternoon summer rain shower wet the roads one needed to drive very carefully to avoid squashing the hundreds of frogs on the pavement.
My windshield isn't much different. Maybe less grasshoppers. If I am driving in the country, especially near farms... there are plenty bugs. In the city, not so much. Now when I was a child I remember infestations of Tent Caterpillars that seemed to be everywhere during the Summer. It's been a looooong time since I have seen anything like that - but that's a good thing.
I live in a small home on a .25 acre lot in the Pacific Northwest. My hobby is Bonsai, and I have a small collection of around 80 trees. It takes daily work to maintain, and one of the things I enjoy the most about my Bonsai nursery, is the abundance of creatures it attracts. While I attend the trees, my cat spends her time chasing birds, squirrels, butterflies, moths, bees, flies, grasshoppers, katydids, praying mantis, lady bugs, beetles, and frogs. I also have a wide variety of spiders, but my cat doesn't mess with them. These are just the beneficial or innocuous insects. I find the bad kind as well.
The insects I notice fewer of are pests that damage crops. Nonetheless, the world is a big enough place that what is experienced in one location is not indicative of what may be experienced elsewhere.
I'm not sure how much of a decline there has been in New Zealand. Certainly, some of our native insects are endangered by introduced mammals like rats, mice and hedgehogs. (Non-native) honeybees have also declined due to the varroa mite. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, seem to be doing well.
Living in rural NE Georgia, Ive noticed the lack of bug smears on the windshield for several years now.
What’s even more disturbing to me is the the almost complete disappearance of frogs and toads on the roads. Ten years ago when a typical late afternoon summer rain shower wet the roads one needed to drive very carefully to avoid squashing the hundreds of frogs on the pavement.
My windshield isn't much different. Maybe less grasshoppers. If I am driving in the country, especially near farms... there are plenty bugs. In the city, not so much. Now when I was a child I remember infestations of Tent Caterpillars that seemed to be everywhere during the Summer. It's been a looooong time since I have seen anything like that - but that's a good thing.
I live in a small home on a .25 acre lot in the Pacific Northwest. My hobby is Bonsai, and I have a small collection of around 80 trees. It takes daily work to maintain, and one of the things I enjoy the most about my Bonsai nursery, is the abundance of creatures it attracts. While I attend the trees, my cat spends her time chasing birds, squirrels, butterflies, moths, bees, flies, grasshoppers, katydids, praying mantis, lady bugs, beetles, and frogs. I also have a wide variety of spiders, but my cat doesn't mess with them. These are just the beneficial or innocuous insects. I find the bad kind as well.
The insects I notice fewer of are pests that damage crops. Nonetheless, the world is a big enough place that what is experienced in one location is not indicative of what may be experienced elsewhere.