This week, I received a very nice note from Marjorie Fairbanks of Waynesville regarding my article on Lake Emory, which came out in the Smoky Mountain News a few weeks ago. She made one very good observation - I did not mention insects.

Fairchild mentions that mosquitoes and biting flies were practically unbearable around Lake Emory as so much of the original lake is now comprised of swamp. I can hardly disagree, as mosquitoes love standing or stagnant water to breed, and there are plenty of such pools of water on and around Lake Emory.

However, I do think that one has to be careful when only looking at the negatives. Certainly no one likes to be eaten alive on a fine summer’s eve, but these insects, as well as many others, play a very important role in the ecology of Lake Emory and in any body of water.

Mosquitoes breed in water and their initial stages of development occur in water. The early stages of a mosquito’s life are valuable food sources for fish, other insects, birds and amphibians. Certainly the larval form of the mosquito is a good source of protein for the many predators which take advantage of this abundant food supply during their own breeding season. The same holds true for some of the biting insects, which can disrupt a nice family gathering around a picnic table. Although some biting flies may not breed in water, others do. All of them, however, fit in a typical food chain and are, therefore, beneficial. I guess one has to look at both sides of the coin when determining the value of any insect which man considers a pest.

The lake is also home to other types of insects that do not typically take advantage of a human food supply. The Little Tennessee, the lake, and all of the tributaries are home to various types of caddis flies, stone flies, and mayflies to name a few. Some of these, in their larval stages, are predators in their own right. Others help to break down organic debris which has built up in the water system, thus releasing much needed nutrients. Again, all, at some stage of their life cycles, are prime food sources for a variety of wildlife found in any watershed.

On another note, insects are great indicators of water quality and are often used by scientists to determine whether a watershed or a tributary is under environmental stress. The larval stages of these aquatic insects are relatively stationary, and therefore their numbers and the diversity of species observed are better indicators of water quality than the many fish species found in the same watershed.
Over the centuries, man has tried to rid the earth of some of the worst types of biting insects (a category created by man) with little success. Tires are a prime habitat for mosquitoes to breed. In fact, there seems to be a few species which prefer them. Water collects, becomes stagnant and mosquitoes beeline towards them. Cleaning up old tires has been successful in affecting mosquito populations, but on a limited basis. For every tire removed, another one is put in its place. In some wetland areas, channels have been put in to drain the wetlands and create an undesirable environment. These channels are fine for a few years but, over time, silt builds up and blocks the channel. This creates prime stagnant pools. Again, mosquitoes swarm to them and the food chain remains unbroken. In fact, in some cases, the result of the cure is worse than the original problem. Spraying is another option. Again, spraying has, for the most part, had limited success. It is also expensive.

If you are experiencing an insect problem, especially from the biting and sucking kinds, I would suggest that you go with the natural approach to insect control. There is, on the market, a variety of boxes created for bats and insect eating birds. Bats especially eat a huge number of insects each night, and certain birds such as swallows, bluebirds, swifts, and flycatchers are also avid insect feeders. OK, putting up bat or bird boxes on your property may not completely put an end to the insect problem, but one would be surprised as to how much better those outdoor picnics are. Also, as an added benefit, by putting up various types of nesting boxes you are helping to maintain healthy populations of our natural insect controls.

(Jamie Johnston, executive director of the Little Tennessee Watershed Association, wrote this article. He can be reached at LTWA, 5 West Main Street, Franklin, NC, 28734; or via e-mail at nbumppo@dnet.net.)

 

Back to Top
The Smoky Mountain News