Since the beginning of time, insects have existed for over 400m years. Their ancestors came from the oceans to settle the land. They have achieved remarkable success, evolving into an astonishing diversity of over 1m species. Science may yet discover 4m more. There are over 300,000 types of beetles. Since childhood, I have been fascinated by insects. They are fascinating, beautiful, and live interesting, unique lives.
These tiny creatures are essential to the survival of the planet. They pollinate plants, control pests, recycle organic material, such as dung, corpses, tree trunks, leaves, and soil, keep it healthy, disperse seeds and maintain the soil. These tiny creatures are vital food sources for larger animals like birds, bats and amphibians, as well as fish, lizards, amphibians, and amphibians.
Without these tiny creatures, the world wouldn't function.
We should all be concerned that insects are disappearing at alarming rates from the Earth. In Germany, flying insects have decreased by 76% in 26 years. The UK has seen a decline in the number of common butterflies by 46% and 77% respectively since 1976. This despite conservationists making great efforts to save them. 13 bee species have been extinct in the UK, and many more are likely to follow. The famed monarch butterfly in the US, which is famous for its annual migration between Mexico, Canada and the United States, has been extinct since the 1980s. The monarch population west the Rockies has declined by 99.9% over the past two decades, and it could be extinct within a year.
When I was young, I vividly recall my parents stopping the car for long summer drives to clean the windscreen. It quickly got clogged with insect corpses. Our windscreens today are shockingly clean. Although the data is not complete as many insects are not closely monitored, almost all data points to an ongoing, rapid decline in insect populations worldwide. This mass disappearance occurred within our lifetimes, under our supervision.
There are many factors that contribute to insect declines. These include loss of habitat due to intensive farming, housing development and other developments; an ever-growing pesticide blizzard used by gardeners and farmers; the climate crisis; light pollution and the effects of invasive species. Pesticide-infested, clean world is hostile to all insect life except for those that are the most adaptable and toughest offenders, like houseflies, mosquitoes, and cockroaches.
Last week, a migrating monarch butterfly ate nectar from a butterfly bush in Racine, Wisconsin. Photograph: Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock
Although this may seem very depressing, don't despair. Although we feel helpless when faced with many environmental issues, there are ways that we can all work together to reverse the declines in insect populations. Many insects are not extinct yet, but they can recover quickly if given space and somewhere to live. If you have a garden you can make it easier to allow insects to enter. The Xerces Society in North America can offer advice. It's amazing how many species a small garden can support. Jenny Owen, a biologist and wildlife gardener, spent 35 years meticulously cataloguing every animal and plant she could find in her small garden of eight acres in urban Leicester. This is an area not known for its wildlife richness. She recorded 2,673 species, including 1,997 different kinds of insects.
We may feel helpless when faced with many environmental issues, but we all have the power to stop and reverse insect declines.
The UK has approximately 22 million private gardens while the US has an estimated 43m. Imagine how many people they could support if all of them were wildlife-friendly. You can grow one marjoram plant on your roof terrace or balcony. The bees, butterflies, and hoverflies will love it when it blooms. It will make you feel proud that you did something. Do more!
You might consider getting involved in local and national campaigns to plant wildflowers in urban green spaces. Or to declare your village or town pesticide-free. Imagine every park, cemetery, roundabout, and garden being filled with wildflowers. We could create a national network that supports wildlife rich habitat.
We must not forget about the larger issue of how food is grown. My view is that intensification of farming is not sustainable. It has caused severe damage to wildlife and soils, polluted streams and rivers, and contributed significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The British apply 17,000 tonnes of pesticides each year to the landscape. For the USA, that number is staggeringly 450,000 tons. Recently, the federal government announced that 2.6m acres in Montana will be treated with insecticides using crop dusters to combat native grasshoppers. Other insects, such as the monarch butterfly, will suffer irreparable damage. Countless trillions of them will die. It is no surprise that insects are on the decline.
Although it is difficult for most people to make a difference in the farming practices of our country, we can help reduce our impact by purchasing local, seasonal, organic produce, eating loose fruits and vegetables, and reducing our meat consumption. Even better, you can even grow your own food in a backyard or allotment.
We all need them, whether we love them or not. Pollinators are needed for three-quarters the crops that we grow. It is important to learn how to live in harmony and respect the natural world, rather than trying to control it. It is essential for our survival and the well-being of all life on this planet.
