This week, we are going to focus on some insects, or “Insectivora,” as my late buddy Doc Scisly liked to say.
Some insects are more conspicuous by their absence than their abundance. A good example of this is the Japanese beetle. Years ago, they would come on like a plague, eating every plant in their path. On one occasion, I found it almost impossible to putt when a green was literally covered with emerging Japanese beetles. I used to put up traps to catch them, and the bags would fill up very rapidly. Not anymore. Ever since the 1980 flood, I haven’t seen even one on my property, and I am glad.
Also conspicuous by their absence are yellow jackets and other wasps. It’s this far into the summer, and I haven’t been stung even once. In fact, I have only seen one or two of the ill tempered little critters. Normally, when sitting on the deck, I would be surrounded by them. One of my “sports” was zapping them with an electric paddle. To his dismay, the guy who cuts my grass did discover a nest of bald faced hornets in a tree in my yard, and paid the price for his discovery.
In the past, the nighttime yard would be full of fireflies, or, as we call them, lightning bugs. While there are some this year, they are really sparse. The same holds true for the big beetles known as junebugs. I haven’t seen even one. They’re kind of gross, but they are usually part of summer.
Even butterflies are rather scarce. In fact, I have not seen even one monarch butterfly this year. I usually see at least a few. The other species are also few and far between.
I haven’t been seeing many ladybugs when, in most years, they are everywhere by now. Even flies are fewer in number, although fruit flies are an exception. My garden has been bothered very little by insects, although some damage is going to require a dusting.
Although they are technically not insects, spiders are also rather scarce. I haven’t seen even one daddy long legs this season. In fact, I have seen few spiders of any kind. There is, however, one persistent fellow that keeps building webs between the driver’s side mirror on my pickup truck and the window. I have no desire to hurt him. I keep knocking down the webs, and he keeps rebuilding them. I’m hoping he eventually gives up.
I wonder if maybe I am living in some sort of dome, and others may be seeing a lot of the aforementioned species. I know that sounds like a Stephen King or Dean Koontz novel, but it just seems weird.
There are other examples of scarcity as well. I have seen no orioles. The same goes for scarlet tanagers and bluebirds. I couldn’t tell you when I last saw a belted kingfisher. They used to fly up and down the creek behind my house all the time. At least, I am not alone in the bird department. Friends have noticed the same thing.
In many ways, this has been kind of a weird summer. The trees were a bit late getting to full leaf. There have been temperature extremes and smoke from Canadian wildfires. Still, it beats the heck out of winter. Despite the strangeness, it is still summer, with all it has to offer. Get out there and enjoy it while you can!
Chris Henderson email: salmonangler1@gmail.com
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