Even in the nature-loving Pacific Northwest, some bugs are public enemy No. 1.

Why it matters: As spring temperatures climb, cold-blooded insects emerge from winter hiding spots seemingly all at once, which is why it can suddenly feel like they're everywhere.

• The good news? Such pests generally don't harm humans, Levi Zahn, an entomologist with Multnomah County Vector Control, told Axios.

Yes, but: They're definitely a nuisance. When we asked Axios Portland readers which springtime pests they hate most last week, a select few villains emerged.

• Out of 94 responses, stink bugs and boxelder bugs (35%), ants (28%) and mosquitoes (17%) were among the most despised.

What you're saying: Perhaps the most horrifying experience came from reader B.G., who preferred to only use their initials: "I woke up one night with a boxelder bug strolling into my nostril, apparently having entered my CPAP machine through an intake, and making its way down the tube."

• For a long time, reader Jeremy Maxwell would stress about the "millions" of boxelder bugs clustering on his home each spring. Then, he said, "I began to respect their tenacity and politeness."
• "They just congregate and hang out in a big throng when the weather gets nice … just like we humans do at Edgefield."
• Dez Crawford said the bugs in Portland don't hold a candle to the flying roaches she grew up with in New Orleans. "I do admit that the ants here are quite annoying."

Even the most reviled bugs play an important role — from pollination to feeding other animals and breaking down organic matter.

• "Their disappearance would trigger a collapse of global agriculture and the animal ecosystems that rely on them for waste decomposition and food," Chad Ruffin, a Seattle-based physician and insect enthusiast, told Axios.
• Despite accounting for 90% of all animal biomass, insect populations have plummeted by 75% in less than three decades.

The bottom line: It's better to live with 'em than without 'em, Nicole Meyer, senior media officer for PETA, told Axios.

• "Bugs are just trying to make their way in the world like we are, so the least I can do is give them a little grace."

Share this story

After six long months, the Broadway Bridge will reopen to all vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and the Portland Streetcar tomorrow.

• The bridge closed back in October so crews could replace the bridge deck — a project totaling $21.8 million, with the county and the federal government picking up the tab.

Commuters will no longer have to trek over the Fremont or Steel bridges just to get to the Pearl or areas surrounding the Moda Center.

• Yes, but: Prepare for some intermittent closures next weekend while crews tact on the final touches.

🧑🏼‍🍳 Greg Higgins, the James Beard award-winning chef behind the restaurant that shares his last name, plans to retire and sell the eatery, but hopes new owners will continue his legacy. (The Oregonian)

👀 Immigration enforcement arrests in the Pacific Northwest dropped sharply in the first few months of the year, but people with no criminal convictions continue to be vulnerable to apprehension. (OPB)

👩🏼‍🌾 Regulations on "agritourism" — things like farm stands, pumpkin patches and Christmas tree farms — got a little looser after Gov. Kotek signed a bill that allows for agricultural businesses to collect more revenue from "non-farm sources." (KGW)

📝 More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for a pause on data center development in Hillsboro, citing concerns about rising energy costs, environmental impact and loss of farmland. (KATU)

🦌 The Thompson Elk statue — gone from its perch downtown since it was damaged during the 2020 racial justice protests — was reinstalled yesterday with a rededication ceremony planned for 1pm Sunday. (OPB)

The future home of a wildlife care center off Northeast 82nd Avenue is starting to look a lot more natural.

Driving the news: Volunteers with the Bird Alliance of Oregon have planted more than 500 native plants at the former quarry and landfill, which will soon be home to a nature sanctuary.

• Kids with a youth development program, students from nearby McDaniel High and a team of more than 100 volunteers have all taken a turn getting their hands in the dirt.
• When it's complete, the sanctuary will be home to four acres of habitat for birds and wildlife, as well as walking trails for human animals.

What's next: The Bird Alliance hopes to have the project complete within five years.

Portland's biggest, best and only video rental store, Movie Madness, is old enough to run for President.

• After 35 years, the throwback rental spot is throwing itself a birthday party to mark its analog perseverance in the age of streaming.

On Sunday, the store will host an "adopt-a-movie adoption fair" and an in-store scavenger hunt, along with sales of exclusive anniversary merch.

• You'll have to soak in the madness at that location while you can: the store is planning to relocate — along with its more than 100,000 movies — to a larger space on Northeast Sandy Boulevard next year.

If you go: Movie Madness (4320 Southeast Belmont Street) will be partying from noon to 4pm Sunday.