I see far fewer insects now than I did growing up in central MO 40-50 years ago. Both variety and number. I rarely see butterflies, those big black and yellow garden spiders, lady bugs, or lightning bugs.

It also seems that it has happened more quickly in the last 10+ years or so, and a lot the last couple years. I travel a lot for work, and used to have to stop to clean my windshield in between fillups. In the last few years, I rarely have to clean it.

I walk my dog for a mile or so every night about 9. I used to hate having to watch out for those tree spiders that make the big webs. This year, I have seen very few of them. I noticed all summer that instead of giant clouds of insects swarming every streetlight after dark, there are maybe 2-3 bugs flying around each of them. I guess there are few spiders because there aren't enough bugs to eat.

It may not be a "scientific observation", but that is what I've noticed. Maybe it's part of some normal multi-year cycle, but I doubt that.

who has counted birds for the Cornell U Feederwatch program for 10 years, I can tell you the bird populations are taking a big hit, too. In fact, the latest Audubon magazine is dedicated to describing this bird population problem.

Tonight a fly got in the house and I had a flashback to our first year or two after moving in -- almost 20 years ago. We had a stock of flystrips that we would hang here and there in the house. Haven't needed them in years.

Outside, the number and variety of insects is plummeting year by year. They used to flock around the outside lights in clouds, but not any more. Makes me wonder how badly the local bat populations have been affected. We used to see them flying at dusk, but haven't caught sight of one in quite some time now.