Not Just Bees and Butterflies

We hear a lot about honey bees and butterflies and many of us think something needs to be done to protect them. But what about other insects? Are they important?

The answer is “YES!” Do you like to see cardinals and hummingbirds in your yard or at your feeders? Did you know that both depend on insects, especially in the larvae stage, to feed their young? Do you like to see spring wildflowers growing along the highway? How do they get pollinated to create seeds that re-seed the area for blooms the next year? Did you know that many of our native insects such as our native bees (orchid bees, carpenter bees, green bees, and many others), wasps, flies, and even ants help pollinate these plants? Do you like to eat breads, potatoes, apples, grapes and cucumbers? Many types of insects are essential for pollinating their flowers so that we get the grains, fruits, and vegetables to put on our tables.

Insects are the bottom of the food chain and feed thousands of types of creatures including some other insects, such as the dragonfly which eats mosquitoes and is even called mosquito hawks in some parts of the country. Almost all baby songbirds eat caterpillars for their first foods. Many reptiles such as frogs and turtles depend on insects to live. Fish eat many insects.

So what is happening to insects? Why are we losing large percentages of them each year? On butterflies alone, a 22% reduction was found from 2000 to 2020. It is possible that other insects are declining about the same rate. There are several reasons including habitat loss. Farms are changed into housing. Most homeowners have lawns instead of native plants to support diverse insect populations. Businesses may use artificial turf.

Insecticides are another factor. Some are used as prevention (neonicotinoids) while others are directed at insects. Most kill 100% of insects including honey bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and native bees.

Weather is also a factor. An early spring brings flowers prior to the arrival of migrating insects such as the monarch butterfly. The flowers (including some fruits and vegetables) don’t get pollinated and have low production. The insects die for lack of food when they arrive at their usual time.

So what can you do to help? First, avoid the use of pesticides in most circumstances. If you do use them, avoid spraying the flowers so you don’t kill the good insects that visit them.

Provide habitat for insects. Plant flowers! Native flowers are best and can be incorporated with vegetables and fruits to attract the best insects for both the native and cultivated plants. Make your lawn smaller so you have space to plants flowers. Eliminate turf grass and replace it with native plants that bloom throughout the year. You will save money and time with native plants because they take care of themselves in most circumstances.

Don’t clean as often! Leave mulch in place for native bees and other insects to overwinter. Leave plant stems and stags in place for other types of native bees and insects to nest in the stems or to create holes in the stag.

You can’t control the weather, but you can make sure you have plants that bloom year-round or at least spring through fall.

Encourage your neighborhood to include native plants so that insects have more than just your yard. Ask your town or city to grow native plants in parks and flowerpots along the streets. Roadways are also a great place to feature wildflowers native to your area.

Yes, insects are important, and not just the honeybees and butterflies. You play a role. You can be complacent or proactive. The decision is yours.