Summertime bugs

noticeably more earwigs this year…

Spoono said :

Yeah there does seem to be heaps less Christmas beetles in the last few years. That and Spitfires (Sawfly larvae). I used to see heaps of both when I was a kid. Dunno why though.

Same here. We used to get piles of Christmas Beetles when I was a kid and now I can’t even remember the last time I saw them.. Ditto with spitfires, those buggers used to be everywhere.

Now if we can just get rid of the moths..

Definitely less Xmas beetles and also no bogong moths anymore = what happened to them?

Plenty of flies, earwigs and brown grasshoppers.

Hmm, nah seems like a normal amount to me. I also notice its worse down in canberra suburbs than it is here up in Queanbeyan as well.

I recommend a full face mesh net if you have to be outside a lot (think beekeper style but lighter and more breathable) or grab a fallen branch and swat, swat, swat.

I love walking through Fyshwick to work doing the “crazy man” dance as I swing my arms around me wildly trying to dislodge the swarm, must look hilarious to anyone driving by.

What I really want though is a portable, battery powered, electric bug zapper. Wait till a few build up then turn it on and zap the lot, hehehe.

Or just do as my friend suggests, they hang around waiting for you to crap cause its your crap theyre after, so just drop your dacks when you’re out on your walk, squeeze one out and then run! LOL

I’d guess there have been more flies due to the consistent rainfalls allowing grass growth – consistent in frequency if not quantity!

But seriously there may be a bit more of them around than last year, but nothing compared to to couple of years prior to that, when the drought seriously knocked the numbers of dung beetles around then we got a big downfall of rain.

Saw my first Xmas beetle yesterday. They feed on Eucalyptus leaves (a significant contributor to dieback in mature eucs actually), and those trees are still quite drought stressed so maybe another link?

just you, i think. s4anta is right that the recent dry winds have blown some in from the centre, but i was musing as i gardened this week how few flies there were at the moment… you’re obviously sweeter than me!

Yeah there does seem to be heaps less Christmas beetles in the last few years. That and Spitfires (Sawfly larvae). I used to see heaps of both when I was a kid. Dunno why though.

I’ve noticed the Cicada’s have been out this month!
Havn’t seen them in years. 😀

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada#Life_cycle

I’ve been wondering that too…

I blame the Government

I made the same comment last year and was told that the reason for less Christmas Beetles is because their larvae live in grass – and with Canberran lawns becoming less common with the drought and water restrictions over the last few years, there’s less larvae, and hence less beetles. I don’t know how true that is though.

As for the grasshoppers, I’ve seen heaps of the little brown ones around, but no big yellow winged ones. I just attributed that to increased development around my area – the grass paddocks that once attracted the yellow winged grasshoppers are gone.

10,000 odd species of flies down to mozzies in Australia.

Alot of them have been blown in from the Interior on the recent dry, high winds we have experienced, not too mention that it is Summer.

To avoid flies etc, don’t smell sweet, they like sweet smelling things as they are pollen and sap eaters believe it or not.