Where Have All the Bugs on the Car Windshield Gone?

Why Are There Fewer Insects on Car Windows?

Until a few years ago, especially in summer, when traveling by car, especially at high speeds like on the highway, it was common to see many insects hitting the car windshield.
This may seem trivial, but today it is increasingly rare, have you ever noticed? What may seem like good news because it means fewer dead insects, actually reveals a reality also linked to climate change.
Here’s why we see fewer insects on the car window.

The “Windshield Anecdote”

Tomas Roslin, a professor of insect ecology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, has tried to explain the absence of insects on car windows.
The reasons can be diverse.
First of all, there is the reduction in the insect population.
The observation of the phenomenon has made it possible to ascertain that there are many fewer insects in nature than before, and consequently, the probability of them being squashed against the car windshield is lower than before.

They have called it the “windshield anecdote,” and for years new studies have been published to try to understand the phenomenon.
One of the reasons is linked to climate change, which has ended up damaging insects as well.
There are many fewer insects in nature than in the past.
High temperatures are creating environments unsuitable for their survival.
In addition to climate, another factor contributing to the decline of insects is the massive use of insecticides in agriculture.

Multiple Variables at Play

However, to truly measure the issue, it is not enough to look at the windshield of a car in search of squashed insects.
There are many variables at play that influence the result, such as time of day, temperature, season, location, type of vehicle, type of road, traffic volume, types of territories crossed, and driving speed.
It is therefore difficult to establish a decrease in insects in some locations behind the issue of clean windshields.

There have been many research studies and analyses to understand the phenomenon.
Some have even attached an insect net to their car to assess the quantity.
Almost all analyses concur that in some areas, the number of insects has decreased over the years.

The Role of Other Factors

According to the Canadian entomologist and popularizer John Acorn, however, one should not give too much weight to these numbers.
According to him, among the many factors that make modern windshields clean of insects, there are also other factors entirely independent of the numbers of insects present in that area.
These include the increased number of vehicles on the roads or aerodynamic differences in how modern cars are built, making them less attractive to insects.

Even the shape of the windshield can play a fundamental role.
In short, all factors that would explain why insects no longer stick to windshields, ending up as victims.
There is no doubt that climate change has created and is creating problems for insects, but the reduction in numbers cannot be the primary cause of intact car windows.

Read also: It’s one of Italy’s most dangerous insects, do not approach or touch it.