Guest blog: 41% of insect species face extinction, but can you help turn this around?
Director of Wildlife Trusts Wales, Rachel Sharp, explains why she’s urging gardeners to put down the pesticides at home as part of the Action for Insects campaign.
What most people don’t realise is that insects are absolutely essential to our world. While bees and butterflies get the most attention, there are numerous other insects that quietly go about their day supporting our ecosystems. These include moths, which pollinate the night garden; parasitic wasps, which keep a variety of pests under control; and ladybirds and lacewings, both of which feed on aphids helping us grow flowers and vegetables.
The majority of insects perform a variety of vital tasks such as pollination, aerating the soil and breaking down dead animals and returning them to the earth. In fact, around three-quarters of all crop types grown by humans need to be pollinated by insects. They also act as the basis of the food chain, being a source of food for many of our much-loved garden guests including robins and hedgehogs. So, if we want to survive and keep our gardens healthy - we need insects to thrive.
Yet in the UK, not only have our insect populations suffered drastic declines, 41% of the earth's remaining five million insect species are now threatened with extinction. Globally, lots of things contribute to this decline, including intensive farming, urbanisation, introduced species, and climate change. While a lot of this might seem out of your hands, you can do more than you realise to help the insect populations in your community.
At the Wildlife Trusts, one of the main ways we encourage people to care for insects is to garden without chemicals. Pesticides and other harmful chemicals are designed to kill a wide range of organisms including insects and plants. Weed killers and insecticides are freely available to buy but they can harm insects and destroy the habitat they rely upon. It’s alarming that even supermarkets have started selling these types of chemicals. Just think about it, these chemicals are going into our shopping trolleys next to tonight’s pizza or fresh veg. Finding alternatives isn’t difficult, small changes can have a big impact. Here are some simple things we can all do to make a difference.
Growing without chemicals takes a bit more thought and planning, but a happy balance between predator and prey can be found. For example, ditch the chemical repellents and instead opt for a barrier of coarse bark or sharp gravel around veg or flower beds which helps deter slugs and snails. You could even share your growing space with wildlife by creating food and shelter for hedgehogs, frogs, birds and other small mammals that will feed on the slugs and snails anyway.
To help insects thrive you need to create spaces where they can live, feed and breed all year round. In some cases, this might actually save yourself from extra work. Insects at different stages of the their life cycle often require different plants and areas to shelter, so even that dead or dying plant that you think is an eye-sore could be a home for an insect. The next time you go to tidy away logs, dried grass or old plant stems, don’t cut back unnecessarily as they are great for insects hibernating over winter. Even allowing some of your grass to grow longer or, where possible, keeping cracks in walls will provide shelter for insects – it really can be that simple.
For the more green-fingered, there are so many things you can do to help insects while making your garden beautiful at the same time. My suggestion, choose flowers and shrubs that insects can feed on all year round. Flowers that are rich in pollen should be chosen including bluebells, primroses and snowdrops in the spring, lavender and mint in summer, and buddleia and ivy in autumn. These plants and many others can provide a vital source of pollen and nectar for insects.
Even if you don’t have a garden, you can still take action for insects by keeping potted plants on balconies or windowsills to provide some welcome and necessary nectar or pollen. Just remember to place your pots in maximum light for best flowering and if you don’t get sunshine, choose shade-loving varieties instead.
You don’t have to do it all or all at once! Just committing to one small action today will help make a huge difference. The next time you’re outdoors and notice an odd or scary looking insect, don’t be scared of it. The chances are, it is good for your garden or at the very least will provide sustenance for nearby wildlife.
We believe that it’s not too late to bring insects back, but we do need to act fast. Therefore, the Wildlife Trusts’ Action for Insects campaign wants to reverse the alarming decline in insects and help nature recover across the UK. Insects are integral to the survival of our planet so we want everyone to take actions for insects. There are easy steps you can take to turn your home and garden into insect-friendly havens.
