Pollinators This Spring

This is a continuation of our last post.

This is not hard science by any means, but it appears to me that the colder than normal temperatures are having a direct bearing on the number of insects present. We have noticed that our large colonies of bluebells are have been in flower nearly twice as long as in years when the daily temperatures are higher. Another indication of the cold temperatures is how little planted corn has emerged and what has emerged is very small compared to past years. We are just starting to see a few butterflies and they tend to be in the most protected areas.
My night-time back door surveys of moths and other nocturnal insects also seem to directly implicate that low temperatures are having a negative effect on numbers. I can recall only one warm evening so far this season, and that night there were a few moths, most evenings, there have been none or just one or two. Another indication is the general absence of mosquitos, I have yet to encounter, but one in the
woods. I am not defending the use of agricultural insecticides, but
we need to remember insects like heat and we have not had much of it this spring.

Carl

On May 20, 2008, at 4:59 PM, Richard G wrote:

> I have noticed that as well. Despite prodigious flowering of apple
> trees, plums, and other fruit trees, I fear that the lack of
> pollinators may lead to another down year in local fruit production.
>
> Dick