Where Did All the Bugs Go?

I noticed something weird after a recent 200-mile round trip to the city.

There were exactly two bugs on my truck when I got home.

Two.

That's not normal for August in Oklahoma.

This was a mid-morning trip that stretched into the hot afternoon, so I figured I'd come home with the usual collection of bugs stuck to the front of the truck, but I didn't.

That got me wondering if the bugs are doing the same thing we're doing in this heat. Staying anywhere it's cool, or at least finding somewhere to hide until it cools off.

Oklahoma Bugs in the Summer Heat

I talked to a buddy way out west in Hollis, and he said the grasshoppers are about as thick as usual. If you've ever driven way out in Western Oklahoma during late summer, you know exactly how thick they can get. But weirdly, he didn't mention the flies.

That's pretty weird because Hollis is normally swarming with flies when it's this hot. I'm guessing it has something to do with the livestock sale barn right there in town.

You'd think a trip through that part of Oklahoma in August would be good for a few bugs on the windshield, but this summer is all kinds of different. And there may actually be something to the idea that some insects just back off when the heat gets extreme.

Do Bugs Hide During Extreme Heat?

I looked into it, turns out OSU says heat and drought can actually favor grasshopper populations, but the insects don't all respond to heat the same way. Even flies will shelter in the shade when it's this hot out.

You really do learn something new every day.

On the flip side of things, this bugless day trend could be coming to an end. The forecast seems to be favoring cooler temperatures. I mean, it'll still be hot and in the triple digits, but the difference between 101 and 111 is considerable.