I had been planning a funny post about how the squirrels must have boycotted the 24 Paws of Love home because I thought the dogs had scared them away. Then I spoke with my neighbor and was halted in my tracks. I discovered that the low flying plane that went over the tops of our trees, this past spring while Brut and I were out walking, was a crop duster spraying for a particular moth.
I almost fainted in horror as the mental list I'd been tallying flooded my mind with the wildlife and insects that I'd noticed missing all summer.
The absence of the squirrels was the most obvious.
Then I realized I hadn't seen the nuthatch in it's birdhouse. Or scattering up and down the pine trees.
Where were all the bees and wasps?
The hummingbird food kept molding.
The tiny song birds, chickadees, finches and sparrows missing from our many trees.
The knocking of the woodpecker, no more.
And then the one that shot through me like a bullet,
I had not seen one bat all summer long.
These are only the animals and insects I am aware of that have nearly vanished in our neighborhood in order to get rid of ONE type of caterpillar/moth.
This is the results.
I don't know that I will ever get a grip of the horror of what has been done.
Because of ONE moth all of these creatures are gone and then some. Something to think about.
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Brut Quote
15 comments:
It sure must be some nasty nasty spray to get rid of one type of crop moth. Scary isn't it. I pray for some rain for you guys.. so it will wash away some of the nasty sprays.
We have the peeps that come with their big trucks to spray the drains and weeds in the neighbourhood. All the grass dries up and dies along the way too. Just as scary... as it must be some potent thing.
It makes you wonder how it can be safe to use around the rest of us.
Good point from Angela. Maybe there could also be a connection with the extreme heat we had this summer.
We also wonder if the agency responsible for the spraying gave any sort of heads up about it? Lots of questions to be raised for sure.
Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
Yes, it could be worth digging a bit deeper. If this spray can cause all those other animals to leave (hopefully they didn't die!) then what else is it capable of? It's very scary actually.
Wonderfulll dog but also blog,best regard from 2 golden retriever Cerise and zitablue in Belgium.
It is sad, people use these poisons!!! Nature ususally balances things out if we keep our nose our of her business.
That is sad. Doesn't sound like it was worth it to me. I could only hope that they will return one day:)
Wow, that's terrible!
since our area banned pesticides and herbicides, we've noticed a huge difference in the wildlife. There are SO many more insects, which means the number and variety of birds we have increased drastically,and you can see bats flitting around at night. It might require a bit more work to keep dandelions out of our yard... but at least there is birdsong.
It certainly makes you pause and think-could this happen where I live?
That's insane that one moth can do so much damage. I am assuming it is an invasive species, which is why they were dusting for it? I am not saying it's right, the way they handled it, but it makes you think.
You know, when we first moved in, that first summer we were totally over-run with frogs in our backyard. There were so many they were coming into our house. Finding a dead frog on your bedroom floor first thing in the morning is NOT fun. However, since that first year, we haven't had a single problem. I really don't know why.
Momma and I have been noticing this summer that the blue tail and fence lizards, little tiny friendly guys that eat ants and insects are missing from our neighborhood. Our city has begun a program of spraying the sewers and drainage ditches with insecticides because of the growing population and its insistence on watering to have lawns has created a previously unheard of mosquito problem. We miss watching them scamper up and down our outside walls.
Isn't it amazing what one small insect can do in the grand scheme of things? I wonder, though, is it possible that there are some other reasons for the lack of wildlife? Has there been any disease going around, or drought? Not that I discount you, but I've learned that sometimes it takes a sort of "perfect storm" to really make a difference in the environment -- a host of things all working at the same time, if you will. In any event, whatever the cause, I'm sorry! It's a shame to see so many animal numbers dwindling.
Wow... that's really sad, and a bit scary. :/
Every creature is necessary in some form in order for another creature to survive. Except for humans. All humans seem to do is destroy everything and every creature with total and complete disregard. Horribly sad. It will be what causes our doom in the long run.
Holly & Khady
Amazing how we humans won't think twice about dooming entire ecosystems just because we can't figure out how to coexist with one creature. How much you wanna bet that that moth was introduced somehow my humans too?
My heart goes out to all those critters around you--we'll send blessings your way to help them come back!
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