Sitting outdoors on an unseasonably warm evening in early March, Mary Jamieson was surprised to see a number of mosquitoes buzzing around.
The biting bugs don’t usually appear that early in the season. The warm temperatures and frequent rainfall surely aided their reproduction and are likely the cause of their early appearance, says Jamieson, associate professor of biological sciences at Oakland University.
She says the mild winter may have negative and positive effects on the insect population – both those regarded as pests and those considered beneficial to humans.
“There are going to be winners and losers,” she said.
But the insects’ story isn’t fully written yet. Mosquitoes, who breed in standing water, surely benefitted from the wet and warm winter. But a recent cold snap, which hit just as the calendar said spring began, could “knock them back a bit,” Jamieson said. And there could be more cold snaps this spring.
“Those extremes are difficult to predict,” Jamieson said.
Allergy season arrived early; here are tips to manage symptoms
As mosquitoes can carry disease, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommends eliminating all sources of standing water around your home that can support breeding. Empty bird baths, abandoned swimming pools, wading pools, old tires and any other object holding water once a week.
While the mild winter may benefit biting insects like mosquitoes and ticks, it is not good for bumblebees and other pollinators, which are considered friends of humans and important to the environment.
The mild winter could cause pollinators to have a “false wake-up” from their winter diapause, similar to hibernation in other animals. The early emergence could deplete their energy reserves, Jamieson said.
“We’re very concerned about this,” she said. “It’s really messing with their internal clock.”
There could be a cumulative effect if the mild winters continue, she said.
The pollinator population is already in decline as their habitats are shrinking. That’s of concern to biologists and ecologists because of the role they play in food production.
Pollination is the movement of pollen from male parts to female parts of flowers to create seeds, according to the nonprofit organization Pollinator Partnership, which is dedicated to preserving pollinators.
Pollination can be done by wind, gravity, or animals. Any animal that moves pollen from flower to flower is a pollinator.
More than 80% of flowering plants rely on animal pollinators for reproduction. Pollinators feed on plant pollen and nectar to survive and to raise their young, so plants and pollinators depend on each other.
About one-third of the food we eat requires the help of bees, birds, bats and other pollinators. Planting plants that bees, butterflies and other pollinators need can help save their populations.
Pollinator Partnership offers these planting tips:
– Use native plants; at the least, avoid invasive species.
– Know your soil type and select appropriate plant material.
– Plant in clusters to create a “target” for pollinators to find.
– Plant for continuous bloom from spring to fall.
– Pick sites that are removed from wind, have at least partial sun and can provide water.
– Allow material such as dead branches to remain as nesting sites.
– Reduce mulch to allow access to the ground for ground-nesting bees.
Pesticide use is also affecting pollinators. Pollinator Partnership offers these tips to reduce the impact of pesticides.
– Use native plants that encourage natural enemies of pests.
– If you must use pesticides, read and follow directions.
For more information, go to pollinator.org.
