Comments on: Cabin At The Lake Tip # 3342 https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/ Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:53:17 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 By: MadScientist https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493487 Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:53:17 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493487 How many bugs can a swallow swallow? One good bug catcher (for indoor use) in those situations is a tin plate smeared with something sticky like lard – wave it around and bugs stick.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493486 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:21:13 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493486 European; Hirundo rustica

]]> By: Mike https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493485 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:57:56 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493485 Is that an African or a European swallow?

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493484 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 13:27:57 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493484 Pretty much. The exact process varies across insects. Some insects simply “fly towards the light” as a means of ending up in more or less the same place. In theory, the emerge at night and fly towards the moon, and on the way, meet up with each other and mate. Moths, or some moths, probably navigate using the moon and a bright light doesn’t exactly attract them (because in normal life they don’t automatically fly at the moon, they just use it as a guide). What probably happens with some moths is that their internal GPS machines overload and whenever they are near a light they accidentally fly in tighter and tighter circles, so it is like an informational black hole effect that causes them to spin around near the light until they run into it and fry or become exhausted and land somewhere.

We have swallows in the architectural elements but not as many as there could be. Only one nest that I’m aware of though there must be more. We should put up swallow nesting thingies.

I would love to put up bat houses. If I do, no one will ever know I’ve done it. Many of the in-laws subscribe to a 19th century view of nature and bats are really just giant icky flying spiders that will fly into your hair and kill you. There are certain places that I’m sure bats live now but I won’t ever tell anyone or those things will be destroyed.

]]> By: daedalus2u https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493483 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:54:43 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493483 My understanding is that insects are not “attracted” to lights, but that they use a light spot as a navigation aid and fly so as to keep that light source at a certain angle relative to their line of flight. That only works for lights that are distant enough that the angle doesn’t change, like the moon. When the light is close, they spiral in.

]]> By: Serena https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493482 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 02:37:42 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493482 Sometimes swallows nest in your boat lift cover, thus crapping all over your boat! But it certainly does help with the insects…

]]> By: daedalus2u https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493481 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 01:47:12 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493481 You should put up bat houses.

Bats really like to forage over calm water. The highly reflective surface makes it much easier to find bugs. You might consider putting a light over the water.

Swallows eat a lot of bugs too, and they will nest on docks.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493480 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 01:44:05 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493480 Good idea.

Also, a half dozen or so pet bats would be good.

]]> By: bks https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493479 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:14:40 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493479 Maybe you could have two lights at opposite ends of the cabin that turn on and off asynchronously and the bugs would die of exhaustion rushing from one to the other.

–bks

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/06/25/cabin-at-the-lake-tip-3342/#comment-493478 Mon, 25 Jun 2012 21:11:56 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12485#comment-493478 Paul, yeah, if you use a yellow light you’ll get three tons of lake flies instead of four tons.

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