Bye bye bugs? Scientists fear non-pest insects are declining

A staple of summer — swarms of bugs — seems to be a thing of the past. And that's got scientists worried.

Most scientists say lots of factors, not just one, caused the apparent decline in flying insects.

Suspects include habitat loss, insecticide use, the killing of native weeds, single-crop agriculture, invasive species, light pollution, highway traffic and climate change.

"It's death by a thousand cuts, and that's really bad news," Wagner said.

To Tallamy, two causes stand out: Humans' war on weeds and vast farmland planted with the same few crops.