Where are the butterflies and...

Mark Crnolatas · Post by **Mark Crnolatas** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 3:19 pm

Bill L, a police officer who used to work for us, recently came back to the Wood to visit after many years being located in a couple of other states.
He proposed some light-hearted questions, of which made me wonder also.

What happened to the once commonly seen Monarch butterflies? So many of the elementary school kids had "bug collections" with the best with vast collections of butterflies caught "down the valley".

What happened to the worms? After a summer rain, the sidewalks all over the Wood would be scattered with worms, and we as little kids would walk zig-zags to avoid them. Later we collected them to go fishing. We don't see them anymore.

What happened to the pigeons? While we don't care to see them again, they used to be a common sight everywhere.

What happened to the fireflies aka Lighting Bugs? We used to catch them, put them in a jar with holes poked in the lid in hopes they would make lights for us at night when we used to camp out in our backyards. This summer I might have seen 3 or 4 at the most. We used to catch 100s.

Air pollution?

Mark C.

DougHuntingdon · Post by **DougHuntingdon** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 6:40 am

I have seen everything that you mentioned this year in Lakewood.

Maybe the antisocial residents who seem more common in Lakewood nowadays are scaring away the critters in some neighborhoods.

Keep in mind Lakewood is much more densely populated (with people) than Tuscarawas County.

Doug

Shawn Juris · Post by **Shawn Juris** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:17 am

I thought I saw alot of monarch butterflies but maybe those were just gypsy moths. Worms and pigeons are never real memorable for me so I'm not sure if they're around or not. I did see alot of lightning bugs one night but that was on a deck in Westlake. Maybe they don't know how to get east on 90.

dl meckes · Post by **dl meckes** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:48 am

I'm happy to report that we had a bumper crop of lightening bugs in our front yard this year. I attributed that to wetter and longer grass, but that may not be the real explanation. We had more weeds than ususual this year (more biodiversity?).

We recently found a big praying mantis and I haven't seen one of those in years.

Depending on the neighborhood, pidgeons can be pretty thick, but we have more hawks than ever around our house and there are a few Peregrine falcons around. Where the Peregrines live, the pidgeon population decreases.

Jeff Endress · Post by **Jeff Endress** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:00 am

Never did like the pigeons.....flying rats. They nest in the eaves and generally make a mess. The falcons have pretty well taken care of them near the Emerald Canyon. There's still plenty to view on Public Square.

The lack of lightning bugs was probably a result of Mark's prior efforts at capturing so many.....probably the breeding population is in jeopardy.

Jeff

stephen davis · Post by **stephen davis** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 1:58 pm

Haven't seen many Monarchs.

Worms on the sidewalk? Not sure. I don't have a sidewalk.

Cooper's hawks are getting the pigeons in my back yard.

We had less lightening bugs than usual.

O'Bryan and I saw a Bassett Hound sized Opossum last Saturday.

A skunk and I scared each other last week.

I have an abundance of black, grey, and red squirrels.

We've had midges all spring, summer, and fall. Enough already!

I'm always surprised at how many deer I see east of Lakewood Park.

Wildlife seems quite abundant in THE WOOD.

I would like to know what happened to the red fox that lived on the cliffs behind Kirtland Lane.

Kenneth Warren · Post by **Kenneth Warren** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 5:17 pm

Mark:

I live on Belle, between Clifton and the tracks. I tend a wild garden. No spraying - no chemicals - with spaces given to a somewhat random scattering of vegetable seeds. Plus my wife tends to her vegetables, herbs and a range of flowers, including lavender.

This summer I planted quite a bit of squash in the backyard. The blossoms attracted Monarch Butterflies. In addition, I have blackberry bushes, the blossoms of which also seemed to appeal to these creatures. I also was struck with the number of fireflies on evenings in say late June. There were many bees as well.

Perhaps the question is what is planted in the backyard? What type of chemicals if any are neighbors deploying?

Try some of the plants mentioned above and maybe you will attract new insect neighbors.

Kenneth Warren

Jeff Endress · Post by **Jeff Endress** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:16 pm

Worms on the sidewalk? Not sure. I don't have a sidewalk.

Geez Steve...talk about living in the styx.....I'll bet if we get a City Manager, we could work towards getting your unimproved area some sidewalks! :lol:

Jeff

stephen davis · Post by **stephen davis** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:47 pm

Jeff,

Thanks for your concern, but I'm afraid that sidewalks might bring progress to my neighborhood. I don't think we're quite ready for that. What would be next? A Walmart on Roy Drive?

I saw my first flying squirrel down here last year. Sidewalks might destroy their natural habitat.

I think we all know dangers of deforestation. My trees supply a high percentage of Lakewood's oxygen.

I think my neighbors would agree that our hardships are for the betterment of all Lakewoodites. It's important to have a natural area for plantlife and wildlife. We make do by hunting, fishing, and foraging in the woods (THE WOOD?). You all save money in taxes for sidewalks, and their maintenance.

Steve

Jeff Endress · Post by **Jeff Endress** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:11 pm

Steve...

You forgot trapping.....after all, isn't that what really happened to the fox?

Jeff

stephen davis · Post by **stephen davis** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:15 pm

Oh, yeah. And trapping.

Thanks Jeff.

Steve

Jim O'Bryan · Post by **Jim O'Bryan** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:10 pm

stephen davis wrote:O'Bryan and I saw a Bassett Hound sized Opossum last Saturday.

I cannot believe you forgot the Unicorn we saw and you recognized instantly.

.