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Where have all the insects gone?

sciencemag.org

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Re: Where have all the insects gone?

#11

Post by accountyaccount »

perseusprime11 wrote: post #7
wycke wrote: post #6

I wonder what the long-term impacts of so many homeowners applying lawncare chemicals will have. It just seems like a bad idea to spray chemicals all over the lawn, yet so many do it it. I also wonder how many are over-applying, thus making matters worse. Any thoughts on how to change people's mindsets. It seems herd mentality has taken over, even though most likely know this is not healthy or environmentally friendl…

Lawns, in general, are not environment-friendly because of the need to use fuel to cut it and for spraying chemicals to keep the weeds and mosquitoes out. I lost the battle with my HOA to completely take the lawn out and instead just plant some useful trees. People don't realize how much money they spend on a 30 year basis to keep the lawns healthy.

>the need to use fuel to cut it and for spraying chemicals

you can manually do both of these things though

Re: Where have all the insects gone?

#12

Post by coldpie »

jostmey wrote: post #8

"The mass of insects collected by monitoring traps in the Orbroicher Bruch nature reserve in northwest Germany dropped by 78% in 24 years". That number is scary. If that number is even close to the same across the world, the planet is in more trouble than anyone realizes

Just another one of those darn Chinese hoaxes.

Re: Where have all the insects gone?

#14

Post by ythn »

cpfohl wrote: post #5

They're all terrifying wasps or yellowjackets now. And they're all constantly trying to build nests in or near my house. I thought this was universal knowledge...

You thought it was universal knowledge that 80% of insect biomass has dropped in nature reserves around the world with no obvious cause?

Re: Where have all the insects gone?

#15

Post by Retric »

accountyaccount wrote: post #11
perseusprime11 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lawns, in general, are not environment-friendly because of the need to use fuel to cut it and for spraying chemicals to keep the weeds and mosquitoes out. I lost the battle with my HOA to completely take the lawn out and instead just plant some useful trees. People don't realize how much money they spend on a 30 year basis to keep the lawns healthy.

>the need to use fuel to cut it and for spraying chemicals you can manually do both of these things though

It still takes fuel to make those spraying chemicals and get them to you.

Re: Where have all the insects gone?

#17

Post by tcfunk »

perseusprime11 wrote: post #7
wycke wrote: post #6

I wonder what the long-term impacts of so many homeowners applying lawncare chemicals will have. It just seems like a bad idea to spray chemicals all over the lawn, yet so many do it it. I also wonder how many are over-applying, thus making matters worse. Any thoughts on how to change people's mindsets. It seems herd mentality has taken over, even though most likely know this is not healthy or environmentally friendl…

Lawns, in general, are not environment-friendly because of the need to use fuel to cut it and for spraying chemicals to keep the weeds and mosquitoes out. I lost the battle with my HOA to completely take the lawn out and instead just plant some useful trees. People don't realize how much money they spend on a 30 year basis to keep the lawns healthy.

I don't understand why more people don't use push reel lawnmowers. I've used one ever since I stopped living in apartments, and they are not that difficult to use. They are lighter-weight than their gas-powered cousins, and you don't have to fill it up with gas every damn time you mow. Also it doesn't make 9000dB of noise.

Re: Where have all the insects gone?

#18

Post by VA3FXP »

Daishiman wrote: post #13

So when will people stop minimizing that, literally, the planet is dying?

When will people stop with this hyperbole?

The planet; as-in this rocky, water-world orbiting Sol, will exist for BILLIONS of years.

The _life_ on this planet AS WE KNOW IT is dying, along with ourselves. That is a huge difference and one that needs to be repeated with as much clarity as possible.

Will homo-sapiens still exist in 10,000 years? maybe. 100,000 years? doubtful. 1,000,000 years? nope.

Will single-celled life forms, virus, prions, etc still exist? Probably.

This entire pyramid that we have existed at the top of is brutally fragile and will not continue as it is forever. To repeat one of most favorite quotes: "Nature is in a constant state of recovering from the previous disaster."

This is the distinction. Something as immutable as granite can't die. We can barely wrap our brains around the concept of water being able to erode such permanence. How can you expect them to believe such histrionics? But life, that is more delicate and temporary then a snowflake in the Sahara.

Re: Where have all the insects gone?

#19

Post by fivestar »

wycke wrote: post #6

I wonder what the long-term impacts of so many homeowners applying lawncare chemicals will have. It just seems like a bad idea to spray chemicals all over the lawn, yet so many do it it. I also wonder how many are over-applying, thus making matters worse. Any thoughts on how to change people's mindsets. It seems herd mentality has taken over, even though most likely know this is not healthy or environmentally friendl…

I doubt it has much to do with homeowners and lawn care. If anything, it has to do with the thousands of square miles of cropland that gets sprayed for insects each year.

Then again, you get outside any of the cities and the windshield gets bug splattered as always.

Trillions upon trillions of insects versus humanity? I'd bet on the insects.

Re: Where have all the insects gone?

#20

Post by fivestar »

tcfunk wrote: post #17
perseusprime11 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lawns, in general, are not environment-friendly because of the need to use fuel to cut it and for spraying chemicals to keep the weeds and mosquitoes out. I lost the battle with my HOA to completely take the lawn out and instead just plant some useful trees. People don't realize how much money they spend on a 30 year basis to keep the lawns healthy.

I don't understand why more people don't use push reel lawnmowers. I've used one ever since I stopped living in apartments, and they are not that difficult to use. They are lighter-weight than their gas-powered cousins, and you don't have to fill it up with gas every damn time you mow. Also it doesn't make 9000dB of noise.

Because my entire summer of mowing can be done for 5 gallons of gasoline.
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