Where did they all go?

It's just a day before the official start of summer and those pesky Japanese beetles that most always made an appearance in early June are nowhere to be found in 2013! Tis a puzzler for sure.

Also, AWOL are the ticks (hunters have killed all the deer in my area), the grasshoppers. mosquitoes and the other irksome insects that generally make gardening such an irksome battle! The only real problems I've encountered, thus far, are tiny flea beetles which took an early and lasting liking to my potato plants. The shotgun appearance of the leaves, pictured above, are testament to their collective hunger. In spite of that, the tater plants seem to be surviving just fine.

This 'insect free' situation has made for a very pleasant spring down here in southwest Missouri. But, it makes me also wonder if this is natural for nature – i.e. some cyclical species variation, or is this a trend that could prove deleterious down the road? You know, like the honey bees that are disappearing worldwide. A side note: i.e. means "that is". It's from the latin "id est"!