Things have definitely become unusual, here in New Zealand normally around this time of year, late summer, we have masses of aphids.
These are normally the bane of every rose grower, the tender shoots of most roses at this time are a crawling green mass of bloated aphids accompanied by the ants which milk them. Using this veritable meat market for food are usually Praying Mantis, ladybirds and small Waxeyes-Zosterops lateralis.
This year however, things are very different indeed. There has been not a single sign of any aphids whatsoever, along with them have gone the above-mentioned predators. It almost seems as if there has been a collapse in the food chain. I have done a check through different areas of the country and this phenomena is not just localised.
It's unusual but when I mentioned this on one of the lists someone was saying that they had just read the latest Fortean Times and there was an article in there about acorns being missing in the Northern Hemisphere and how animals such as squirrels were starving to death.
This may tie in with a recent bat attack in Rotorua which I shall mention more of in the next blog.
If indeed the food chain has collapsed these poor animals may have come into a suburban area looking for food which they could no longer find in the Bush.
If it certainly is the case then we can expect a lot of odd animal behaviour in the months to come.
It certainly shows something is going on globally at the major question is what has caused the collapse?
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