By Peter Weiss
A folk song declares, “There ain’t no bugs on me!” To that, a pair of wind-turbine researchers now can respond, “More power to you!” That’s because they’ve shown that crusty insect
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/07/500.jpg?resize=150%2C120&ssl=1)
remains on power-generating turbines cause what had been a perplexing loss in efficiency.
In California, wind-turbine operators have learned from experience that if they regularly wash insect debris off their turbines, they avoid performance dips. But the pattern of the dips defied the obvious explanation–that dead insects piling up on blades were slowly sapping turbine power, notes Herman F. Veldkamp of wind-turbine maker NEG Micon of Randers, Denmark.