Love them or hate them, we need our insects

Discussion on living for a better and more responsible future
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fabindia
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Love them or hate them, we need our insects

Post by fabindia »

It was rather worrying when I read this week about a distinct drop in the number of insects. Love them or loath them, they are essential for the well being of our planet.

Bees and other insects pollinate much of the fruit and vegetables we eat - with them we would be left with grass derived food - wheat, oats, rice, etc. Other insects are natures garbage re-processors.

Here in Thailand it is a constant battle with ants, both in the garden and sometimes they get in the house. Annoying, and sometimes biting, as they are they do a great job cleaning up everything from gecko poo to dead frogs and slugs.

It strikes me the planet is on somewhat of a knife edge.
Michael
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albertajune
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Re: Love them or hate them, we need our insects

Post by albertajune »

I agree with all you say Michael. Everything on this planet is here for a reason. Just wish some like flies would keep away from my home in the summer.
I am now a widow and live with my memories.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Love them or hate them, we need our insects

Post by lancashire lass »

albertajune wrote:Just wish some like flies would keep away from my home in the summer.


I'm almost certain the number of flies has dropped considerably where I live - I can remember loads of flies in the garden (the annoying ones not the little green iridescent ones) and even with beaded curtains across the back door and doorway from the kitchen, I always remember almost daily having to chase those big flies that got into the house but too quick to swat but not so in recent years.

fabindia wrote:Love them or loath them, they are essential for the well being of our planet.


... even mosquitoes - of course, not so much being bitten by one but the larvae are essential food for so many other creatures. No-one likes wasps especially if they get disturbed and sting but they are part of the ecosystem that keeps pests down in the garden.

fabindia wrote:It strikes me the planet is on somewhat of a knife edge.


As part of my climate change studies to include various habitats (like soil and oceans) and the various ecosystems and looking at the number of problems created by human activities including pollution (especially plastics) ... to be honest, it's a mess.
fabindia
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Re: Love them or hate them, we need our insects

Post by fabindia »

lancashire lass wrote:No-one likes wasps especially if they get disturbed and sting but they are part of the ecosystem that keeps pests down in the garden.


They are only a nuisance at the end of summer and beginning of autumn when they switch from hunting pests like aphids to craving sweet, sugary stuff.

lancashire lass wrote:As part of my climate change studies to include various habitats (like soil and oceans)


What studies are those? I have done an online course with Future Learn.
Michael
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Re: Love them or hate them, we need our insects

Post by Gwenoakes »

We used to be unindated (sp) with flies when in Australia, even to the extent that if you opened your mouth to eat something you had to be jolly quick or a fly would get in to eat your food first.
I used to feed feral cats and in order to allow them time to eat I used to spray a big circle of Baygon on the ground with their food in the middle and this would allow the cats to eat before the ants penetrated the ring.
We once saw a snake going across the road and we thought it was alive, when we looked closer it was being carried by a large ant army. The snake must have been at least 6' long.
We have had no shortage of flies here over the last few years, but we do have horses so that could be the reason we have more. Also the loft of the house is smothered in flies hibernating and I mean hundreds of them, so we have to spray, then close the loft door before putting in or taking anything out.
All the above spraying from someone who does not really believe in sprays for numerous reasons. If someone has a better idea how to get rid of flies I would love to hear it.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Love them or hate them, we need our insects

Post by lancashire lass »

fabindia wrote:
lancashire lass wrote:As part of my climate change studies to include various habitats (like soil and oceans)


What studies are those? I have done an online course with Future Learn.


actually, most are through Future Learn (various courses in their science + natural world so not necessarily titled "climate change" though I have done several titles on that subject to learn as much as I can such as Climate change: the Science, and the Solutions, also Causes, and Tipping Points ) You might like to check out the free Open University courses as well. For example, as a "gardener", I was interested in the FL course on Soil thinking I might get an insight into better growing but then learned about the effects of climate change on soil habitats. "Citizen Science" led me on to permaculture ideas of agricultural ecosystems and being sustainable. "Exploring Oceans" and also "Beneath the blue: the importance of marine sediments" ... of course you then learn about acidification (through uptake of excess CO2) and damage to shells/corals and pollution and so on, then find out about destructive deep ocean mining on habitats we still know nothing about. Most of the courses I chose were mainly out of interest of the natural world until you start seeing the impact on human activity on just about everything around us and how their loss will influence climate. Quite an eye opener once I started to link how one can adversely affect the other and how close the tipping point is.
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