I usually have Bees, Ants and Yellow Jackets all Summer. Hardly seen any of them but I've been killing Black Widows left and right. Just killed three more this morning from an old planter. Makes 32. How has the insect population been in your area?

There has been a lot of ants the summer, and they are bigger than I've seen in years past. I've also seen a lot of different butterflies. Usually we get a bunch but they are usually the same kind. This year I've seen many different sizes and colors. It's also that time of year when the dragonflies come out. Everyday for the past week, I've had a few of my dragonfly friends swirling around me when I've been outside.

Ants! Be careful with the sweets! The army of black ants of all kind will be marched for victory!!!! Hundreds of soldiers are under command of their queen!

Now that you mention it, we don't have the usual amount of bugs this year. I guess it's the heat and lack of rain. We do, however, have a lot of butterflies this year, more than I've ever seen.

My ex-husband and my son got rid of five nests of hornets / wasps that were hanging around under the eaves of my house. YUK!

I haven't seen very many spiders and such, but I guess I didn't notice until you said something. Weird, isn't it?

I have had plenty of bees. I even got stung for the first time in years. And thankfully my ant population is down. We get fire ants and they are painful when they bite. Some people end up with scars. Last year when we bought our house there was a mound in our backyard that had to be over 3 ft. Wide by 4 ft. Long and abut 18 inches high. Plus numerous smaller mounds throughout the yard. It took a good 6 months to get them under control. I had other ants coming in my house. I hired a pest control service to get those under control.

Dear Rooster,

I have been surprised my first summer in the Pacific raincoast for a long time, and definitely fewer bugs generally! Not that I miss the mosquitoes or anything...and nobody sees honeybees anymore, not in the wild anyway...

BUT one little thing I was so glad to see when I came here in May; under my eaves was a little wasp nest! I checked carefully to make certain everybody was hatched and moved out before dislodging the cement and collecting this lovely little specimen; and now it sits on my bookcase.

Here is what they look like, I love them so much, this delicate but strong "paper" they make for their nests...

Seems like I've been seeing a lot of house flies and yellow jackets (meat bees) in just the last couple of weeks.  Mosquito were a bother in the spring, but as soon as hot ans dry came, they disappeared. 

Yes TONS of black widows! But more so in the beginning of summer. We had pesky ants more so then previous years. And the odd one this year has been them funky huge green looking beetles that buzz around! They are everywhere!!! Didn't see many June bugs.

I haven't seen that many insects here actually, thinking about it! I did find a spider I'd never come across before, a woodlouse spider, the other day though. There are plenty of spindly spiders around too, I even found one making a web inside one of my saucepans!

Have not noticed too many besides these mosquitoes last time I was out back. I recall my Grandmother had a fake hornets nest or some type, to trick wasps or bees into going elsewhere if I remember correctly. They like making holes in the deck especially the Grape Arbor beams above.

I recall seeing 1 black widow on my back door. But man, 32! Thats a lot of black widows there Rooster.

I try to save as many lives as I can.

The closer we get to nature the better

life is for all. All life is sagrid and cannot be replaced.