Where Have All The Bugs Gone?

Taken two days ago - fields near me. Not an insect to be seen

If you are a gardener or anyone one who spends a decent amount of time out of doors, you become aware of your surroundings and what is in it.  The last couple of years or so I have noticed a decline in the bee population that this year, seems to have extended into the insect population generally.

Partly due to the Green Agenda and partly due to lack of funds, a lot of the local municipalities are not mowing the green spaces as much or at all. The result is areas full of buttercups, clover, cow parsley etc.. all of which should delight any bee's little heart. Walking around it though, you can't see or hear any insect activity. I don't need all the fingers of one hand to count the number of bees I've seen in our garden this Spring. I have a large fuchsia bush that would normally be humming with bees and other pollinators from the time it blooms until well into the Fall. That wasn't the case last year and may not be again this year.

You might be able to explain some of it with the prolonged cold, wet Winter we had. It didn't warm up properly here until mid-May. But that wasn't the case last Spring. Reports about the decline in bees and other pollinators has been around for a few years, but its becoming more obvious. I've been keeping track on social media of the number of people who have also noticed this happening. It seems to depend what part of the country you are in or what country you are in. But here at least, there are more comments on the lack of insects compared to previous years.

We are well and truly screwed if we lose the insects that are not only necessary to plant life, but also provide food to other creatures. I found this infographic from the EU which explains the reasons behind this. The title of it is a bit OTT, but you get the point. I know we are making changes but I wonder sometimes if its too little, too late.