I suspect that it is even more influenced by the increasing efficiency of
large-scale agriculture in growing fencepost-to-fencepost monocultures free
of any other plant species.  When visiting the Midwest, some beekeepers
pointed out to me that they
weren't seeing some of the butterfly species that they used to see.  My
question was whether that was due to insecticides, or the elimination of
the butterfly host plants (both for the larval and adult stages).  



The largest AG changes here in the midwest are not in the acres planted or
reduced fencerows, but in the states unions being given jobs in mowing and
spraying road ditches and plants considered to be weeds.  Even CRP ground is
regulated as to what grows and mowing schedules.

IL is down rate terrible at spraying and mowing.  They even spray the weeds
around my mailbox for me...  spot spraying,  Mosquito controls...  Constant
mowing.. (farmers and the state)  Those are huge impacts...  absolutely
huge.



Charles

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