You might see them as just pests, but to biologists, insects are a critical part of life on earth, and overall, insect numbers are falling.
Locally, efforts are underway to bring awareness of the problem. Oneida County Conservationist ?Michele Sadauskas? reports much has been said about the decline in pollinators like bees, but some insects that used to be common and disappearing...
"We're reaching out to people with pollinator and pollinator conservation, but it's broad scale with many more insects that in trouble out there. We're not seeing the quantity of insects and the diversity of insects we once did...."
While most people wouldn't mind fewer mosquitoes, those insects and billions of others are not as abundant. Sadauskas says this affects the many bird species as well, as many of the bird populations are in decline. She says Whip-poor-wills, swallows and night hawks are declining in part due to declining insect numbers. Sadauskas says a type of perfect storm is affecting insect populations..
"It's habitat loss, we're paving over many things, how we live within the environment. Also the use of pesticides is a biggee. It's easy to get something over the counter and not realize the effect we're having..."
Sadauskas says the once numerous Luna moths are a vivid example of an insect that has just about disappeared from the Northwoods and fireflies are another. She says small things will add up if the public will help. Creating a small bit of habitat or not being as neat with your mowing or raking are easy ways to help. She says not using pesticides is another point.
There's more information at the Oneida County Land and Water Conservation website. We have a link at here.
