What bugs/diseases/critters have ya'll seen that weren't around 30-40 years ago?

[ponytug]

At one time, Eastern Africa.

Now, all I have to worry about are herds of pigs with 500lb sows defending piglets.

All the best, Peter

 

[ponytug]

Sudden death from unrecognized alpha-gal allergy;

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/13/health/tick-bite-alpha-gal-death

(Medical paper)

I know I have had zillions of bites over the years.

Stay safe out there.

All the best,

Peter

 

[redman135]

New Zealand

PSE a bug that kill Kiwifruit vines. Qurentine was ingored.

Varoa bee mite, apppeared early 2000's. vector unknown, no bee imports for last 40 years. Major control failure. GOVT Sprayed 2 km zone around initial site of infestation. THEN found the insects will travel up to 5 km. GRRRRRRRRRRR. Govt said stuff it and waked away from the problem. There are no wild hives nowdays and all hives need medical assisstance to suvive varoa.

Clover weevil, arrived mid 90's.vector unknown.

Asian Paper wasp arrived late 70's. stowed away on ship most likely.

Australian green fly, lethal on sheep. Arrived mid 80's. vector unknown

Australian Plover. Supposed to have ridden a big storm across the Tasman Sea. 1200km haul. Plausable, NZ is winter feeding ground for bar tailed godwit. Flies Alaska to NZ direct nonstop, 11,000km.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

New Zealand

PSE a bug that kill Kiwifruit vines. Qurentine was ingored.

Varoa bee mite, apppeared early 2000's. vector unknown, no bee imports for last 40 years. Major control failure. GOVT Sprayed 2 km zone around initial site of infestation. THEN found the insects will travel up to 5 km. GRRRRRRRRRRR. Govt said stuff it and waked away from the problem. There are no wild hives nowdays and all hives need medical assisstance to suvive varoa.

Clover weevil, arrived mid 90's.vector unknown.

Asian Paper wasp arrived late 70's. stowed away on ship most likely.

Australian green fly, lethal on sheep. Arrived mid 80's. vector unknown

Australian Plover. Supposed to have ridden a big storm across the Tasman Sea. 1200km haul. Plausable, NZ is winter feeding ground for bar tailed godwit. Flies Alaska to NZ direct nonstop, 11,000km.

We have had varroa mite here for a long time and my wild European honey bee hives are still surviving. Native bees are in more trouble. I am coddling the local bumble bees with Russian sage plantings that they like. Rosemary blossoms are another favorite.

 

[Jstpssng]

. I am coddling the local bumble bees with Russian sage plantings that they like. Rosemary blossoms are another favorite.

Not quite the same but a couple of years ago I had a burdock bush growing on the side of my driveway. It bloomed before I got around to cutting it down and the bumblebees were really qorking them so I left it.
Now I have multiple burdock bushes growing up and down my driveway. The bumblebees love them and I pull burrs off everytime I go outside.

 

[drumminj]

qorking?

 

[Jstpssng]

qorking?

Working... darned fat figners strike again.

 

[ponytug]

Not quite the same but a couple of years ago I had a burdock bush growing on the side of my driveway. It bloomed before I got around to cutting it down and the bumblebees were really qorking them so I left it.
Now I have multiple burdock bushes growing up and down my driveway. The bumblebees love them and I pull burrs off everytime I go outside.

Some folks like burdock root as a vegetable. Personally, I think it is a major effort to harvest, and given the burrs, not something I like to have around. Our ranch had cockleburrs when we bought it, and that has taken years and years to deplete the seed blank, but I'm not kidding myself that the seed bank is empty yet.

Around here, bumble bees like borage, and bee balm, and here they go wild over our California poppies, I think due to the plentiful pollen. As a kid, we added borage to the garden one year, and the bush hummed with bees all summer long. It really helped with the yields, so we had a bush every year after that.

All the best, Peter

 

[drumminj]

Working... darned fat figners strike again.

I thought 'qorking' was just some hip new term the kids were using these days that I hadn't heard yet

 

[Jstpssng]

I thought 'qorking' was just some hip new term the kids were using these days that I hadn't heard yet

Probably it is. Maybe I'm "with it" without knowing.