Comments on: Midge http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/ A daily photographic look at the world of insects, spiders, creepies, crawlies and critters. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:16:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: DeeJaye6 http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-167 DeeJaye6 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 07:53:46 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-167 So, there was a mouse in the room. They brought in a cat that chased off the mouse. But the cat wouldn't stop meowing, and scratched anyone who came close. They brought in a dog that chased off the cat. But then the dog took over the bed and growled at anyone who came close. So, they brought in a lion that chased off the dog. But the lion just took over from where the dog left off. Then they brought in an elephant which chased off the lion. But then the elephant wouldn't move, no matter what they did. Finally, they brought in a mouse that scared the elephant away. And there was a mouse in the room. So, there was a mouse in the room. They brought in a cat that chased off the mouse. But the cat wouldn’t stop meowing, and scratched anyone who came close. They brought in a dog that chased off the cat. But then the dog took over the bed and growled at anyone who came close. So, they brought in a lion that chased off the dog. But the lion just took over from where the dog left off. Then they brought in an elephant which chased off the lion. But then the elephant wouldn’t move, no matter what they did. Finally, they brought in a mouse that scared the elephant away. And there was a mouse in the room.

]]> By: Thor http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-151 Thor Sun, 07 Oct 2007 07:23:11 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-151 That being said, I can totally understand why you would not want to dive into a pool chock full of writhing midge larvae for photo ops. That being said, I can totally understand why you would not want to dive into a pool chock full of writhing midge larvae for photo ops.

]]> By: David Brady http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-36 David Brady Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:30:29 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-36 That's so crazy. I wonder why they didn't import damselflies or dragonflies; their larvae are carnivorous and eat mosquito larvae, and the flying versions of course take the battle to the skies. It wouldn't eliminate the population, of course; you'd have predator/prey population oscillations. Though if you've got midges now, you might try importing damselflies; you just can't kill midges enough to affect their populations. :-) That’s so crazy. I wonder why they didn’t import damselflies or dragonflies; their larvae are carnivorous and eat mosquito larvae, and the flying versions of course take the battle to the skies.

It wouldn’t eliminate the population, of course; you’d have predator/prey population oscillations. Though if you’ve got midges now, you might try importing damselflies; you just can’t kill midges enough to affect their populations. :-)

]]> By: Tye http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-35 Tye Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:17:24 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-35 You know Klamath Falls, Oregon imported midges into the local ecosystem over 10 years ago to bash the mosquito infestation, but now they are a worse blight than the mosquitos themselves. The running joke around there is "Inhaling midges above and mosquitos biting your legs below". So now you have both annoying you. Even while travelling down Highway 97 and going around Klamath Lake during the early fall season you'll see swarms of midges in certain places. So much so that it looks like a green snow storm and a car wash is mandatory or your nice new white car has a faint tinge of green through it. And a side note, whether you inhale or eat a midge they taste the same, if not worse in some cases. You know Klamath Falls, Oregon imported midges into the local ecosystem over 10 years ago to bash the mosquito infestation, but now they are a worse blight than the mosquitos themselves. The running joke around there is “Inhaling midges above and mosquitos biting your legs below”. So now you have both annoying you.

Even while travelling down Highway 97 and going around Klamath Lake during the early fall season you’ll see swarms of midges in certain places. So much so that it looks like a green snow storm and a car wash is mandatory or your nice new white car has a faint tinge of green through it.

And a side note, whether you inhale or eat a midge they taste the same, if not worse in some cases.

]]> By: Jeremiah http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-33 Jeremiah Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:42:13 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-33 <i>The people who are trying to exterminate the midges seem blissfully unaware of the fact that the midges are almost singlehandedly holding up the entire arthropod food chain here.</i> That's because people are dumb. :) Seriously though, when will people learn that actions have consequences, and when you start messing around ecologically, the consequences can be much bigger than you would have ever thought, and very unexpected? Let's bring in something to kill the Gypsy Moths! The people who are trying to exterminate the midges seem blissfully unaware of the fact that the midges are almost singlehandedly holding up the entire arthropod food chain here.

That’s because people are dumb. :)

Seriously though, when will people learn that actions have consequences, and when you start messing around ecologically, the consequences can be much bigger than you would have ever thought, and very unexpected?

Let’s bring in something to kill the Gypsy Moths!

]]> By: David Brady http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-31 David Brady Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:38:44 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-31 Hee... well, I sort of treat the midges with grateful yet somewhat psychotic respect. I am grateful for them, but I have no illusions: they exist to die. They exist to die and feed the spiders and dragonflies and damselflies and mantises and wasps and birds and all of the other wildlife that thrives so abundantly here. It's funny; a lot of people here want to exterminate the midges. We have an abatement program here (that, of course, doesn't work) to try and eradicate them because the constant swarming of the midges detracts from the human enjoyment of the birds, waterfowl, dragonflies and other "pretty" fauna in our neighborhood. The people who are trying to exterminate the midges seem blissfully unaware of the fact that the midges are almost singlehandedly holding up the entire arthropod food chain here. Hee… well, I sort of treat the midges with grateful yet somewhat psychotic respect. I am grateful for them, but I have no illusions: they exist to die. They exist to die and feed the spiders and dragonflies and damselflies and mantises and wasps and birds and all of the other wildlife that thrives so abundantly here.

It’s funny; a lot of people here want to exterminate the midges. We have an abatement program here (that, of course, doesn’t work) to try and eradicate them because the constant swarming of the midges detracts from the human enjoyment of the birds, waterfowl, dragonflies and other “pretty” fauna in our neighborhood. The people who are trying to exterminate the midges seem blissfully unaware of the fact that the midges are almost singlehandedly holding up the entire arthropod food chain here.

]]> By: Jeremiah http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-30 Jeremiah Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:56:37 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-30 Sorry...in the first <i>spider</i> photo. That's the first one I ever saw, and being it LOOKS like a huge spider, it sticks in my mind as the first one. Sorry…in the first spider photo. That’s the first one I ever saw, and being it LOOKS like a huge spider, it sticks in my mind as the first one.

]]> By: Jeremiah http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-29 Jeremiah Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:55:07 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2007/08/09/midge/#comment-29 Did you put up the living midge to pay homage to the dead one in your first photo? :) Did you put up the living midge to pay homage to the dead one in your first photo? :)

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