1y ago

Study that asked people to count squashed bugs reveals worrying results

www.independent.co.uk

Citizen science survey shows 78 per cent decline in ‘bug splats’ on number plates

Archived version: https://archive.ph/N9Yal

UK Nature and Environment @feddit.uk

GreyShuck @feddit.uk

1y ago

Study that asked people to count squashed bugs reveals worrying results

www.independent.co.uk /news/uk/home-news/bug-splat-car-study-insects-decline-b2533415.html

26 comments

Didn't need a study to notice this, the difference between when I was a kid and now is stark, used to be the car would be covered in them by the time we got to vacation, now it's clean as a whistle.
- What's really gonna suck is when people are like "holy shit why did they let us kill all the bugs if they were so important?!!"
  Personally my property (2 acres) is free of all pesticides and herbicides. I'm killing introduced species of plants (trees of heaven and privet) by hand mostly pulling them out of the ground.
  This year I might add Japanese honeysuckle to the target list.
  I mean we're probably doomed to some sort of major collapse either way, but I'll do what I can on the micro scale and vote for people who will fight for the right path on the macro (e.g. never Republican).
  PS - I do use poison bait inside for ants and cockroaches so not 100%. Only when they get noticable. Sorry.
  
  If you are in the US or Europe, tree of heaven is an invasive species.
- Yup it’s fucking terrifying, from thousands per trip to zero.
Moved to the burbs a couple of years ago. Every spring we have (aggressive) salesmen knocking on our door trying to spray around our house for bugs.
- They are so persistent too. I have this conversation a few times a year.
  Guy: we can spray and kill all the bugs in your yard Me: no thanks, the bugs are there so the birds have something to eat. Guy: we use an organic compound that won't hurt the birds. Me: NO Guy: do you have spiders in the house? Me: yes there are a few. Guy: We can spray... Me: no, the spiders are there to catch the flies and centipedes that make it inside. I don't need your help because everything functions like it should. Guy: confused look on his face
  
  I'm so happy that I'm not the only one who leaves spiders (mostly) alone in the house. I had a neighbor once who was like, "Uhh... there's a big 'ol spider in your bathroom." One of my children then goes, "That's Henrietta. She lives behind the toilet and eats bugs." The neighbor looked at us like we were crazy. Henrietta's offspring have been living quietly in my downstairs bathroom eating ants for about 20 years now.
  
  My wife has to handle those guys for me now. They blatantly lie about their product and I got nasty with one when I started calling them on their bullshit. Fuckers are destroying the planet to make a very small amount of money.
  
  Not to worry birds, we have taken care of your task of killing all the bugs in the forest. Now your summer is open for watching Netflix.
- Outside spraying is a thing?? Wonder what country that is but not really.
First the frogs all disappeared, then the bugs.
Soon the birds.
I'm seeing several of these posts about how there's fewer bugs right as bugs on my bumper/windshield is starting to be a problem. Is this just people looking this up because they are seeing more bugs?
- Nope. It's an ongoing extinction event. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_in_insect_populations
  
  I know it's been ongoing. I'm just wondering where this surge of posts is coming from. I'm just observing that the surge came when it got warm enough for bugs here.
This is one thing noone will convince me is a bad thing. Birds aren't real anyways and if they are, they should just become vegans! ^Except ^for ^bees, ^bees ^can ^stay. ^And ^Butterflies ^maybe.
- Well, when crop yields sink to 0 you will start to care.
  
  Then we'll just kill all the birds!
- Haha le epic reddit humor
- Forgot this -> /s
  
  Stupid either way.
- Did no one ever teach you about food chains and food webs?
  Everything is connected.

26 comments