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| common milkweed |
I read recently in my local paper that Monarch Butterfly counts were down by over 50% due to use of weed killers specifically designed to destroy milk weed. Milk weed is a key plant used by Monarch butterflies to lay eggs. Our farm crops flourish with genetically modified corns and soybeans while the once ubiquitous milk weed has went the way of honey bee and I am sorry to say, the humming bird. While I still deploy 4 average sized humming bird feeders for my tiny friends, they are now only using 5 pounds of sugar in 2 weeks rather than the peak 10 pounds of sugar per week which used to be the peak of their activity this time of summer. I also had trouble with bees to the point of frustration but not this year. So not only are the Monarch butterfly counts down but I am seeing less of the bees and humming birds and one wonders what else might be slowly disappearing from the landscape here in central Indiana. These are the simple daily observations of a person who feeds birds religiously and tries to live in harmony with nature. Not only does the farm industry use considerable spray applications but my local highway department has demonstrated an almost insane desire to spray rather than cut which not only is a hideous eye sore to behold but let us not forget the consequences for the aquatic creatures bathing in the run off from these sprays. One has to ask where does the madness of man end. I am sorry to report it won't be any time soon. And that is all I have to say about that for now. ********End********
