How Will the Bugs in Myrtle Beach Act the Day of the Eclipse?
I’m sure most of you have heard of the upcoming, once-in-a-lifetime phenomena coming to the Grand Strand area on Monday, August 21st. We’re talking about the solar eclipse of course! The coming eclipse will have 100% totality is many parts of the United States and will span from East to West, across the nation. It is no surprise that this nearing event has stirred up all sorts of curiosity and excitement among humans but, what about the other creatures who inhabit the planet with us? What will be the effect on them? Because of the nature of our business, we can’t help but be a little curious as to what the creepy crawlers in our area will do!
There have been studies done during previous eclipses on animals, insects, and plants of all sorts. Do they seem to notice or just go on their merry way? Cicadas, for example, seem to react in the same way as they do at night, and when the sun was about 50% covered, they began to stop chirping. This is thought to be more in response to the change in temperature than to the actual change in lighting, since the cicada's call is energy intensive, and the researchers think that below a certain temperature it becomes impossible for the bugs to maintain the body heat they need to sing. It was witnessed with bees(and squirrels), on the other hand, that they grew restless and became more active during the time nearing total eclipse. It has also been recorded that say some spiders are effected while others are not.
If you are at all interested in the scientific aspect of this and would like to donate your documentation from the 2017 solar eclipse to science, there is a free app called iNaturalist where you can upload written notes, pictures, and/or video. They ask that you make 3 sets of observations: during the full eclipse, 30 minutes prior, and 30 minutes after.
And if, for some reason, the insects around your property start going haywire and invading your home in the coming days after the eclipse, Best Home and Property Services is only a phone call away!
