Insects Need Help

New research has shown a shocking decline in the numbers of flying insects. Smallholders can help, says Penny Bunting

- Penny Bunting

It’s well known that bees are vital for pollinating many of our crops. Around a third of the food we eat – strawberries, apples and tomatoes for example – is pollinated by bees.

Most of us are familiar with honey bees and bumblebees, but there are also more than 200 species of solitary bee – and they play an equally important role in pollinating flowers, fruit and vegetables.

But bees are not the only beneficial insects. Butterflies, moths, hoverflies and wasps are also useful pollinators, while other insects, such as lacewings and ladybirds, control pests.

In decline

The British bee population has declined dramatically within the last decade, and many species of butterfly are struggling too.

The key challenges faced by pollinators are loss of habitat, lack of food, and damage caused by the use of chemicals. Intensive agriculture – with the loss of flower-rich meadows and hedgerows, and use of pesticides and herbicides – is a major contributor.

So insects need our help – and the good news is that creating insect-friendly spaces on the smallholding often involves less work, not more.

Not being too tidy is a good start. The hollow stems of dead plants provide homes for hibernating insects, such as lacewings and ladybirds – so wait until spring before pruning and strimming.

Ivy shouldn’t be cut back in autumn either. Ivy flowers provide vital late-season nectar for bees, butterflies and hoverflies, when few other sources of food are available – and over-wintering butterflies often hunker down in the deep, protective foliage that ivy offers.