While these warm and wet weather may be throwing summer plans into flux, for others the conditions are just right.
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Bugs and slugs have appeared in higher numbers around Wollongong and the Illawarra, and a leading bug expert says it's no surprise.
"They just love the wet and humid conditions," said David Yeates, director of the Australian National Insect Collection at CSIRO, of the emergence of snails and other critters.
Not only are the conditions ideal for the insects themselves, but warm weather combined with humidity encourages plant growth, which in turn gives the bugs more to eat, leading to higher numbers. Were it to get any hotter, then Mr Yeates said we should expect to see more creatures appearing in our gardens and veggie beds.
Despite whatever our personal misgivings towards insects might be, Mr Yeates said we shouldn't reach straight for the bug spray.
"Most of them are actually doing a good job in the environment. A lot of people get very worried about spiders, but they're usually eating insects or other pests that people don't like around their house or garden either."
Species such as spiders keep down the populations of mosquitoes, which do transmit diseases in Australia.
In addition, insects and other invertebrates have been affected by the natural disasters we have also been living through of late. The intensity and extent of the 2019-2020 fires affected insect populations as have droughts as well as ongoing urbanisation of former bushland.
Internationally, rates of extinction of insects have alarmed scientists, as insects play a key role in ecosystems, whether through pollination, by being food for other species like birds and in helping in decomposition.
Mr Yeates said that while similar declines have not been seen in Australia, a lack of data means that those who study these creatures cannot always be sure of the health of insect populations.
"We understand too little about our invertebrate species, and the problem is that they're often the basis for ecosystems."
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