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Why are there so few insects and spiders in San Francisco? In any other city in the world, I encounter insects with 10-100x the frequency.
by acchow 5y ago
Why are there so few insects and spiders in San Francisco?
In any other city in the world, I encounter insects with 10-100x the frequency.
- iotku 5y agoEven the insects can't afford to live there.
- xenadu02 5y agoThere are lots of spiders in the Bay Area, including here in SF. But definitely fewer of other insects compared to other places I've lived. I think it is partially the cool weather that slows them down and the long dry season. It seems especially hard on the typical flying insects that tend to annoy people. Most of the insect life I've seen prefers to root around deep in the topsoil where it is presumably warmer and not as dry.
- ben7799 5y agoIt's the dry climate. Western Europe is similar. Coming from New England it blew my mind they barely even know what insect screens are in France/Germany/Switzerland. Just an unbelievable lack of insects compared to the eastern US.
- clpm4j 5y agoSpiders and Argentine ants. Those are the only insects I consistently see in SF. Nothing in comparison to the Southeast though... I do not miss the mosquitoes and roaches.
- sammalloy 5y ago> Why are there so few insects and spiders in San Francisco? There used to be a lot. Half of all insect species are in decline. San Francisco State has researchers monitoring the decline of the insect population in the city itself. One of them can be reached for further comment: Gretchen LeBuhn https://biology.sfsu.edu/faculty/lebuhn https://biology.sfsu.edu/faculty/lebuhn