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Zebee Johnstone
Dec 3, 2017, 11:47:10 PM12/3/17
to
<calls into the void...>
So was listening to a BBC podcast and the subject of insects came up.
A rider said that in the 80s she was always cleaning bugs off her
visor and jacket but nowadays very seldom.
And I thought "you know, she's right. Living in Lismore on the early
to mid 90s I was cleaning the buggers off everything. Last time I
visited I got a few little gnats and that was it."
Just went down to Bungendore from Sydney and not a splat. Can't
recall the last time I cleaned bugs off my bike.
So... anyone else bug free these days? Anyone still getting custard
bugs all over the visor or scrubbing baked on bug guts off their
header pipes?
(riding through a hipper swarm does not count. I removed one of those
bastards from inside the headlight bucket after I rode through a swarm
in the riverlands.)
Zebee
So was listening to a BBC podcast and the subject of insects came up.
A rider said that in the 80s she was always cleaning bugs off her
visor and jacket but nowadays very seldom.
And I thought "you know, she's right. Living in Lismore on the early
to mid 90s I was cleaning the buggers off everything. Last time I
visited I got a few little gnats and that was it."
Just went down to Bungendore from Sydney and not a splat. Can't
recall the last time I cleaned bugs off my bike.
So... anyone else bug free these days? Anyone still getting custard
bugs all over the visor or scrubbing baked on bug guts off their
header pipes?
(riding through a hipper swarm does not count. I removed one of those
bastards from inside the headlight bucket after I rode through a swarm
in the riverlands.)
Zebee
Diogenes
Dec 6, 2017, 5:35:26 PM12/6/17
to
Now that you mention it... I concur with your observations.
Raises the question: What's going on?
=================
Onya bike...
Gerry
Zebee Johnstone
Dec 6, 2017, 5:47:46 PM12/6/17
to
In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 07 Dec 2017 09:37:49 +1100
More building in more areas so fewer open places in/near cities for
them to breed in, and those places are very similar and sterile -
manicured parks and ovals mostly. So bugs and bug ecosystems are not
common in those areas.
Plus fewer small farms. Previously in the UK you had small places
(smaller than what I would call "the house paddock") and each of those
had slightly different management. They'd have slightly different
crops, do things at different times. So you get a more varied
ecosystem.
As farms consolidated the things done at one time get bigger as more
acres are managed the same way. Same crops, same timings, same
fertilisers, same weed manangemnt techniques. So again, less
diversity and less varied ecosystems. Which is bad for insects and
other wildlife.
As you get more farms owned by corporates the effect magnifies.
Zebee
Diogenes <diog...@terracotta.urn.gr> wrote:
> On Mon, 4 Dec 2017 04:47:09 +0000 (UTC), Zebee Johnstone
>>
> On Mon, 4 Dec 2017 04:47:09 +0000 (UTC), Zebee Johnstone
>>
>> So... anyone else bug free these days? Anyone still getting custard
>> bugs all over the visor or scrubbing baked on bug guts off their
>> header pipes?
>>
>> (riding through a hipper swarm does not count. I removed one of those
>> bastards from inside the headlight bucket after I rode through a swarm
>> in the riverlands.)
>
> The (de)void replies... ;-)
>
>
> Now that you mention it... I concur with your observations.
>
> Raises the question: What's going on?
>
The podcast suggested it was a change in agriculture in the UK.
>> bugs all over the visor or scrubbing baked on bug guts off their
>> header pipes?
>>
>> (riding through a hipper swarm does not count. I removed one of those
>> bastards from inside the headlight bucket after I rode through a swarm
>> in the riverlands.)
>
> The (de)void replies... ;-)
>
>
> Now that you mention it... I concur with your observations.
>
> Raises the question: What's going on?
>
More building in more areas so fewer open places in/near cities for
them to breed in, and those places are very similar and sterile -
manicured parks and ovals mostly. So bugs and bug ecosystems are not
common in those areas.
Plus fewer small farms. Previously in the UK you had small places
(smaller than what I would call "the house paddock") and each of those
had slightly different management. They'd have slightly different
crops, do things at different times. So you get a more varied
ecosystem.
As farms consolidated the things done at one time get bigger as more
acres are managed the same way. Same crops, same timings, same
fertilisers, same weed manangemnt techniques. So again, less
diversity and less varied ecosystems. Which is bad for insects and
other wildlife.
As you get more farms owned by corporates the effect magnifies.
Zebee
Diogenes
Dec 6, 2017, 8:41:56 PM12/6/17
to
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-08/colony-collapse-ten-years-after-crisis-what-is-happening-to-bees/8507408
"Give me spats on visors, but leave me the birds and the bees,
please." (Apologies to Joni Mitchell)
=================
Onya bike...
Gerry
Gary Woodman
Dec 11, 2017, 7:47:24 AM12/11/17
to
On 04/12/17 14:47, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
> So... anyone else bug free these days?
Now that you mention it... yes. It is passing strange. I don't even wash
> So... anyone else bug free these days?
my visor any more.
Gary
Jeßus
Jan 2, 2018, 5:36:06 PM1/2/18
to
On Mon, 4 Dec 2017 04:47:09 +0000 (UTC), Zebee Johnstone
<zeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
><calls into the void...>
>
>So was listening to a BBC podcast and the subject of insects came up.
>
>A rider said that in the 80s she was always cleaning bugs off her
>visor and jacket but nowadays very seldom.
>
>And I thought "you know, she's right. Living in Lismore on the early
>to mid 90s I was cleaning the buggers off everything. Last time I
>visited I got a few little gnats and that was it."
>
>Just went down to Bungendore from Sydney and not a splat. Can't
>recall the last time I cleaned bugs off my bike.
>
>So... anyone else bug free these days? Anyone still getting custard
>bugs all over the visor or scrubbing baked on bug guts off their
>header pipes?
No shortage of bugs in Tasmania... every trip requires cleaning the
><calls into the void...>
>
>So was listening to a BBC podcast and the subject of insects came up.
>
>A rider said that in the 80s she was always cleaning bugs off her
>visor and jacket but nowadays very seldom.
>
>And I thought "you know, she's right. Living in Lismore on the early
>to mid 90s I was cleaning the buggers off everything. Last time I
>visited I got a few little gnats and that was it."
>
>Just went down to Bungendore from Sydney and not a splat. Can't
>recall the last time I cleaned bugs off my bike.
>
>So... anyone else bug free these days? Anyone still getting custard
>bugs all over the visor or scrubbing baked on bug guts off their
>header pipes?
windscreen before even getting home.
Rheilly Phoull
Jan 2, 2018, 5:47:56 PM1/2/18
to
Diogenes
Jan 2, 2018, 7:04:36 PM1/2/18
to
On Wed, 03 Jan 2018 09:35:58 +1100, Jeßus <j...@j.net> wrote:
> No shortage of bugs in Tasmania... every trip requires cleaning the
> windscreen before even getting home.
So... THAT'S where all the bugs have gone... :-P
> No shortage of bugs in Tasmania... every trip requires cleaning the
> windscreen before even getting home.
=================
Onya bike...
Gerry
Jeßus
Jan 3, 2018, 8:42:41 PM1/3/18
to
Jeßus
Jan 3, 2018, 8:42:53 PM1/3/18
to
On Wed, 03 Jan 2018 11:07:22 +1100, Diogenes
<diog...@terracotta.urn.gr> wrote:
>On Wed, 03 Jan 2018 09:35:58 +1100, Jeßus <j...@j.net> wrote:
>
>> No shortage of bugs in Tasmania... every trip requires cleaning the
>> windscreen before even getting home.
>
>So... THAT'S where all the bugs have gone... :-P
;)
<diog...@terracotta.urn.gr> wrote:
>On Wed, 03 Jan 2018 09:35:58 +1100, Jeßus <j...@j.net> wrote:
>
>> No shortage of bugs in Tasmania... every trip requires cleaning the
>> windscreen before even getting home.
>
>So... THAT'S where all the bugs have gone... :-P
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