The Bug Chicks, Kristie Reddick and Jessica Honaker, are in Bob’s backyard to share the amazing story of how they got started. Co-hosts Greg Torres and Chris Anderson (of Science Around Cincy) join in the fun.
Learn more about The Bug Chicks on their website: thebugchicks.com.
I was in Cincinnati for the last brood X emergence in 2006, and I would say there were definitely more individual cicada then than this 2021 emergence (waiting on the local scientists to confirm) I remember measuring the depth of carcasses under the big old oak trees in Pleasant Ridge- as there was a 2-3inches thick carpet of dead and failed to emerge cicada the ground, up to a meter out from the trunk. But I think – with 17 years of the pesticide application- as people are encouraged to spray on lawns and the increase in these new pest control services that will spray your yard to get rid of all those nasty bugs, it is not so surprising to see insect declines even on a local scale ( apart from any global influence like changing patterns of wether and climate). Another anecdote about declining insect diversity and abundance- we have pet tree frogs which are moth specialists- they LOVE moths, to eat. So we used to catch moths at night around the porch lights. We literally do not see moth anymore- starting about 5 -6 years ago. The occasional moth on the porch on a summer night gets left alone now …. free to fly away and breed. We also turn off our porch lights ( light pollution is a real thing too) and the frogs eat store bought, commercially raised crickets instead. So I applaud all you can do to educate the world about the awesome of bugs and the plights on insect and arthropod biodiversity – here and around the world. Three cheers for Jess and Kristy- the bug chicks!