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Forums - General - Birds and Insects Disappearing

LegitHyperbole said:

I've seen it here too, esspevially the last 5 or 6 years as I was a shut in for 5 years last decade and upon returning to the country I was shocked what had happened in that time and now what continues. There's been a drastic reduction in the last five years here. I try to tell people but they won't listen just like they won't listen. There are so any insect that are native here that are just gone, I've not seen a dragon fly in 14 years, Daddy long legs maybe a handful in the past decade when they used to end up in the house by the dozen on a summers evening, ear wigs are rare now. Even the frogs are scarse and there is a severe lack of earth worms in the ground. All that seem to be doing well are garden spiders, flies (apart from bluebottles which are notorius for reproduction), that said there is a reduction in the variety of spider and fly species. Yet snails are doing better than I have ever seen them in my life and the ticks are feeding on some small critters cause they are the same. Thankfully I have seen more bumble bees this year so far than in the last five years, so that's something and they are of most importance. 

I find it so strange people can't see this. It's scary as fuck. There are less birds because of it, the bird songs in spring and summer would be loud enough to wake you up here, alas It's weak and unverified. I've had many a sleepless night over it and the fact that some plants, shrubs and flowers have been blooming in mid winter and some like roses don't bloom anymore in autumn but bloom lightly multiple times a year. 

I don't know any other ways to combat this besides keeping cats inside, stopping pesticide use, diverting towards renewable energy sources and not using bug zappers.



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CaptainExplosion said:
LegitHyperbole said:

I've seen it here too, esspevially the last 5 or 6 years as I was a shut in for 5 years last decade and upon returning to the country I was shocked what had happened in that time and now what continues. There's been a drastic reduction in the last five years here. I try to tell people but they won't listen just like they won't listen. There are so any insect that are native here that are just gone, I've not seen a dragon fly in 14 years, Daddy long legs maybe a handful in the past decade when they used to end up in the house by the dozen on a summers evening, ear wigs are rare now. Even the frogs are scarse and there is a severe lack of earth worms in the ground. All that seem to be doing well are garden spiders, flies (apart from bluebottles which are notorius for reproduction), that said there is a reduction in the variety of spider and fly species. Yet snails are doing better than I have ever seen them in my life and the ticks are feeding on some small critters cause they are the same. Thankfully I have seen more bumble bees this year so far than in the last five years, so that's something and they are of most importance. 

I find it so strange people can't see this. It's scary as fuck. There are less birds because of it, the bird songs in spring and summer would be loud enough to wake you up here, alas It's weak and unverified. I've had many a sleepless night over it and the fact that some plants, shrubs and flowers have been blooming in mid winter and some like roses don't bloom anymore in autumn but bloom lightly multiple times a year. 

I don't know any other ways to combat this besides keeping cats inside, stopping pesticide use, diverting towards renewable energy sources and not using bug zappers.

Build birdhouses?  Requires limited skills and tools.  And takes only a few hours.  Not sure about where you live but the state parks here accept build houses and will place them all over the place.  I haven't gone full in, doing updates around the house, but I plan on making a half dozen a year or so.  Every little bit helps.  



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Meant to add, put up some bird feeders. My yard is full of blue, finches, wrens, sparrows and all kinds of other stuff.

Put them up high enough so cats cant get them.  



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I love the environment but am never too worried about this because global warming and the industry that causes it will slow down sooner or later from oil and other fossil fuels becoming more scarce. When gas gets to be $20 a gallon, how many people will be driving around? People are in for a rude awakening if they think that they'll be able to find a job with an (economic) environment like that.

And if all of the more positive folks are indeed correct that we'll have moved to something else by then such as electric cars, then this will have fewer emissions anyway. So, one way or another the problem will be solved at least to a degree.



oh Energy is just one thing of the oil industry. It's the millions of other stuff that has it as base material that worries me.



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As far as global warming, people need to read up on red meat.. the meat industry contributes way more to global warming than most people think.



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Chrkeller said:
CaptainExplosion said:

I don't know any other ways to combat this besides keeping cats inside, stopping pesticide use, diverting towards renewable energy sources and not using bug zappers.

Build birdhouses?  Requires limited skills and tools.  And takes only a few hours.  Not sure about where you live but the state parks here accept build houses and will place them all over the place.  I haven't gone full in, doing updates around the house, but I plan on making a half dozen a year or so.  Every little bit helps.  

I was gonna try using a cardboard box as a birdhouse.



Im sure all the garbage that companies are "seeding" in the clouds isnt helping ether.



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10.3390/ijerph22101499

Just fyi.



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CaptainExplosion said:
LegitHyperbole said:

I've seen it here too, esspevially the last 5 or 6 years as I was a shut in for 5 years last decade and upon returning to the country I was shocked what had happened in that time and now what continues. There's been a drastic reduction in the last five years here. I try to tell people but they won't listen just like they won't listen. There are so any insect that are native here that are just gone, I've not seen a dragon fly in 14 years, Daddy long legs maybe a handful in the past decade when they used to end up in the house by the dozen on a summers evening, ear wigs are rare now. Even the frogs are scarse and there is a severe lack of earth worms in the ground. All that seem to be doing well are garden spiders, flies (apart from bluebottles which are notorius for reproduction), that said there is a reduction in the variety of spider and fly species. Yet snails are doing better than I have ever seen them in my life and the ticks are feeding on some small critters cause they are the same. Thankfully I have seen more bumble bees this year so far than in the last five years, so that's something and they are of most importance. 

I find it so strange people can't see this. It's scary as fuck. There are less birds because of it, the bird songs in spring and summer would be loud enough to wake you up here, alas It's weak and unverified. I've had many a sleepless night over it and the fact that some plants, shrubs and flowers have been blooming in mid winter and some like roses don't bloom anymore in autumn but bloom lightly multiple times a year. 

I don't know any other ways to combat this besides keeping cats inside, stopping pesticide use, diverting towards renewable energy sources and not using bug zappers.

It's not the bug zappers cause they've been there for decades and if even it would be very small an effect however the change to LED white lighting, street lamps and stronger spot lighting because of it is likely a massive issue which coincides with the timeframe cats while bad for birds account for a minor dent in population, cats used to be wild and they haven't effected population until recently... that makes no sense. It's the pesticides yes for sure but still it doesn't fit cause the pesticide use is going on for decades and has only increased somwhat anduch of Europe has incentives for farmers to go organic which should have helped but it hasn't, the LED lighting, street lamps and the like has got to be the biggest cause, it fits perfectly with the majour decline and the strength of the bulbs people use which is enough to burn insects alive. I also suspect Internet signals may have some effect on birds but that's just a hunch, there is no evidence, it's just that it matches the time frame and of course less insects to eat, fewer birds. I suspect changing back to orange street lamps and regulating the strength of people's sensor lamps at home would have the biggest and fasted effect, hell most people just stick on a football pitch strength spot light all night now with no sensor that can be seen from horizon to horizon. Maybe get rid of pure white lighting period at night, you could still use LED for the cost but just put an red filter on. It would be good for us and all.