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Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#31

Post by Roark66 »

np- wrote: post #6

Totally anecdotally: I have to scrub a thick layer of bugs off my motorcycle helmet after every single ride but almost never off the windshield of my car. Though this could also be a function of where I’m going (typically rural back roads on the bike and highway/interstate in the car), but even then I’m still not sure, since there is a decent amount of overlap in local routes

There is nothing that gets one to zip up their motorcycle jacket quicker than getting hit with a large bug in the chest while doing 100kmh(60mph).

Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#32

Post by marcyb5st »

lynguist wrote: post #22

I’ve noticed the same with snails. When I was a child in the 90s, the sidewalks were full of snails, and during a 10 minute stroll, I’d often find tens of small snails. Today I find 1 or 2 snails after rainfall, if at all.

Fireflies for me. I live in Italy and between the vineyards it was full of them. Now I occasionally see one or two. It's a pity not only because it is a concrete sign of habitat degradation, but it was also mesmerizing to walk and have them filing around you. Something my kids won't experience.

Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#33

Post by globalise83 »

Probably a large part is due to the increased frequency of cars inside broadly the same volume of road space. Assuming that you have the same number of bugs per m^3 and the same number of bugs entering per m^3 per minute as before, then bugs splattered per car will change in inverse proportion to cars per minute.

Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#34

Post by psychphysic »

bamboozled wrote: post #9
Moru wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the modern car windshields have a much flatter angle than old cars but it's not as news worthy. :-)

So better aerodynamics is squashing less bugs ? I think this is real, I'm traveling and borrowed a relatives car which is much lower profile and more sleek than my old Jeep. I was driving through the countryside the other day and there were a lot of critters flying about, I was surprised that often, they'd sort of just get "pushed" over the top of the car. Not sure what happened to them after that but yeah!

I did some googling to find a comparison of old and new cars in wind tunnels without much luck but this articles cover is fairly good[0].

> Not sure what happened to them after that but yeah!

One thing I did find is that for aerodynamic purposes the one place cars want turbulence is right behind them in their wake to disrupt a vacuum.

So I expect those bugs get smashed into the ground or even sucked into the radiator of any close behind cars as that air seems quite stagnant right behind a car.

[0] https://eu.seacoastonline.com/story/special/2017/01/09/cars-...

Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#35

Post by iancmceachern »

RamblingCTO wrote: post #18
iancmceachern wrote: post #12

Aerodynamics, cars are far more aerodynamic now days.

I can attest that. I drive a Land Rover Defender which, you know, has the aerodynamics of a wall. It's full of bugs after driving on the highway for more than 30 minutes.

I love defenders, I had a series 1 discovery that I simply loved, I was even able to successfully complete Hella Revenge in Moab with it 100% stock

Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#36

Post by iancmceachern »

boffinism wrote: post #20
iancmceachern wrote: post #12

Aerodynamics, cars are far more aerodynamic now days.

How do you feel about the rebuttal to this claim in the article? Particularly the decline in licence plate splats?

It seems like they debunked my theory in the article, apologies

Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#37

Post by titzer »

It's partly due to mowing alongside highways and medians. That is primarily motivated by keeping the number of small animals down, reducing fire risk, and other reasons, but fewer tall grasses means drastically fewer bugs. Also, pesticides and general global insect decline. This is not primarily due to aerodynamics.

Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#38

Post by queuep »

orlp wrote: post #28
actionfromafar wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, the "bugs evolve away" would need evolutionary pressure being involved. But the explanation I got was the available biomass for bugs is such that any chunk of bugs killed on the road was easily filled by other bugs eating their lunch and procreating.

> Also, the "bugs evolve away" would need evolutionary pressure being involved I do not claim that evolution is the reason for the reduction in dead bugs, but if "go near road" has a increased risk of death due to automobiles, there absolutely is selective pressure to not "go near road". Bugs that get killed by cars don't procreate (again) after all.

I read last week about mooses avoiding certain hunting spots during hunting season.

Link in Swedish, not sure how scientific this is but…

https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/mQQWbO/algarna-overlist...

Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#39

Post by deafpolygon »

vlovich123 wrote: post #17

To everyone replying “aerodynamics”, I’ve had the same car for about 9 years now and the drive along the 5 from Bay Area to LA feels like there’s fewer bugs on my windshield (granted not recorded diligently for scientific purposes but whereas before I’d need to scrub the windshield at least once halfway these days I can drive all the way and still don’t need a wash at the end) Same goes for the argument that bugs hav…

What if, with more cars and bigger windshields, we're just grabbing less and less of these bugs due to more of them being killed by other cars / trucks?

Re: Why are there so few dead bugs on windshields these days?

#40

Post by actionfromafar »

orlp wrote: post #28
actionfromafar wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, the "bugs evolve away" would need evolutionary pressure being involved. But the explanation I got was the available biomass for bugs is such that any chunk of bugs killed on the road was easily filled by other bugs eating their lunch and procreating.

> Also, the "bugs evolve away" would need evolutionary pressure being involved I do not claim that evolution is the reason for the reduction in dead bugs, but if "go near road" has a increased risk of death due to automobiles, there absolutely is selective pressure to not "go near road". Bugs that get killed by cars don't procreate (again) after all.

Yes but the pressure is weaker than one might intuitively guess. There are billions of bugs. Even near roads, very few of them are going to be hit by cars, comparatively. Near roads there often are ditches with some water or moisture, making an environment otherwise beneficial for bugs.

Also, decreased road side windshield bug smashing coincides with measured loss of insect biomass:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_in_insect_populations

Disputing that feels more and more like disputing global warming being a thing.

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