A KEEN gardener from Dundrum, who has designed a garden to attract pollinators, has warned that numbers of insects have dropped significantly over the past three years, which he believes should be a concern for everyone.
It comes at a time when society is becoming increasingly aware of the issue.
Just last week UK wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation has revealed very low numbers of butterflies have been spotted in its ‘Big Butterfly Count’.
Michael Kearney is a retired engineer who has spent over 20 years carefully selecting plants for his garden which will attract pollinators.
Three years ago, he noticed a drop in the numbers of such insects.
In an interview with the Mourne Observer in 2022 he outlined his concerns.
Two years on, and the Mourne Observer got back in touch with Michael to see if the issues have continued.
The worrying news is that they have.
Michael told the Mourne Observer: “I have noticed a sustained reduction in butterflies, bees and other pollinators.
“The 2023 summer through to autumn continued to disappoint as the pollinator numbers were well below expectations, therefore I have been monitoring the 2024 pollinator situation from early spring.
“So far this year the pollinator numbers – including various bees, hoverflies, butterflies and wasps – are definitely well down on what would have been normal five to 10 years ago.
“For instance, one day in mid-May, many flowers, both wild and cultivated, were in bloom in my garden and the hedgerows.
“It was a fine day, with light intermittent clouds and sunny intervals.
“The temperature was 15 to 17 degrees centigrade, with a mild to light breeze.
“On days like this pollinators would normally be out in large numbers.
“I embarked on my now usual pollinator survey stroll.
“I visited an abundance of various flowering species of fruit trees, trees, soft fruit bushes, shrubs, perennials, herbs and the vegetables patch over a two-to-three-acre area, including the unmown lawns which were alight with wildflowers.
“To my surprise what should have been a great day for pollinators turned out to be very disappointing, to say the least.
“I observed a small number of solitary bees, less than 20 in total. There weren’t any wild or hive honeybees, hoverflies, wasps or butterflies.
“I then extended my search to include a walk along the hedgerows, covering approximately two kilometres of flowering hedges. I was shocked at the lack of pollinators.
“I observed a few bumble bees and some wild honeybees, but again no more than 20.”
So, from his research he has recognised the reduction of pollinator numbers has continued for the third year in a row.
He also pointed out that the evidence of such has been shown in a decrease in fruit tree pollination in his garden.
Michael suggested that one reason for the drop in numbers has perhaps to do with extenuating circumstances, namely that the local amateur beekeeper moved their hives in 2023.
Climate change
But he wouldn’t rule out other reasons.
“Climate change is definitely a factor that I’ve observed.
“For instance, this spring when fruit trees were in blossom, the persistent wind and rain damaged or removed the blossom over a prolonged period.
“The pollinators would have the double whammy of not being able to fly and damaged or absent blossom if they eventually were able to forage.
“All our pollinators need continuity of good foraging opportunities to survive and each species has its own lifecycle and reproductive process to complete each year.
“The link between the initial breeding, storing food to survive the winter, then restarting the process through spring, summer and autumn into winter must not be impeded or broken if the species is to survive or flourish.
“The increased prolonged wet and windy springs and early summers may be creating a break in the life cycle which may prove to be unsustainable.
“Our pollinators are in trouble and need help urgently.
“Lack of sustained food sources because of increased wet and windy springs is certainly a potential cause of reduction of pollinator numbers.”
Michael did point out that there were some small positives to take.
“Wild honeybees are visiting our flowers and blooms, along with small numbers of bumble and solitary bees, hoverflies and wasps but not in the expected volume or quantity.
“The climate is probably a factor but is it the only reason? Probably not.”
The charity Butterfly Conservation released a statement that supported what Michael had to say.
It has been carrying out its annual ‘Big Butterfly Count’. It is a UK-wide survey of butterflies conducted by the public, and it ended on Sunday (4 August).
The charity said that ‘on average participants are seeing just over half the number of butterflies they were spotting last year’.
A wet and windy spring and colder than usual temperatures for the summer is one of the reasons for the numbers dropping to the lowest recorded in the 14-year history of Butterfly Conservation’s ‘Big Butterfly Count’.
Dr Dan Hoare, director of conservation at Butterfly Conservation, said: “Butterflies need some warm and dry conditions to be able to fly around and mate.
Warning sign
“If the weather doesn’t allow for this there will be fewer opportunities to breed, and the lack of butterflies now is likely the knock-on effect of our very dreary spring and early summer.”
However, the charity is also warning that it is not only this year’s weather that is contributing to the lack of butterflies being seen. 80 per cent of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s, with habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use the main drivers of this decline.
With populations of butterflies already depleted, they are less resilient to the impact of poor weather.
Dr Dan Hoare continues: “The lack of butterflies this year is a warning sign to us all.
“Nature is sounding the alarm and we must listen.
“Butterflies are a key indicator species.
“When they are in trouble we know the wider environment is in trouble too.”
The issue has been noticed locally in other species.
A moth expert who studies insects in Murlough says the sobering news is that pollinators are declining year on year, and that is something we all must be aware of.
Andrew Crory is a nature reserve manager for Ulster Wildlife, overseeing 18 reserves in Northern Ireland, and he combines that role with his work recording insects in his spare time in places like Murlough.
Two years ago, when the Mourne Observer interviewed Michael Kearney, Andrew was also interviewed and he explained that numbers of other pollinators, such as the moths he is studying, were also decreasing.
He told the Mourne Observer this year: “Where they do have statistics about the vast majority of species of moths the studies say numbers are going down.
“The study they did in England a number of years ago was on the state of Britain’s larger moths.
Massive changes
“They didn’t have data for Northern Ireland, but 75 per cent of all the larger species of moths were in decline over a 30-40-year period.
“For a variety of reasons – habitat destruction, agriculture, use of chemicals and pollution, climate change, changing weather patterns. That’s undeniable.
“Even if we don’t have data why would we be any different than GB?
“This is being reported across Europe, why would we be any different than across Europe? That’s the stark reality. It is worrying.”
Even though he records insects locally, it is not possible to accurately predict increases or decreases in moths.
“It is so difficult to know if it is a good or bad year for things.”
But he said that there are signs that the environment is changing.
“The Holly Blue (butterfly) in Northern Ireland used to be single brooded. It came out in April/May time. Now it has three broods. It has completely changed its life cycle in a period of 20-25 years.
“That is a massive change. But that is only one example out of many thousands of insects.”
The reason why there are changes to the pollinators, to their lifecycle, and drop in numbers, is difficult to explain. Andrew says there are a number of reasons.
One of those is pesticides.
Vicious cycle
“There are people who complain about pollinators disappearing, but we are still using the sprays that we used to use. We are not realising that there is a cumulative effect.
“People say that they have used sprays for decades without noticing a decline, but these things take decades to kick in.
“Now most of the sprays that people use in their garden are not like they were 50 years ago. If you wanted to go in the 1960s and buy DDT you could buy as much as you want.”
Another issue affecting the pollinators is climate change.
Andrew said: “Climate change is changing things, and not just in terms of the early emergence of things.
“They may not have as many pollinators because things are changing quickly.
“Emerging times are earlier because it is warmer.
“The triggers are heat with insects. So, if the trigger is heat and you have a mild spring then the insects come out earlier, but the apple blossoms haven’t burst yet so there is nothing to pollinate and the Hawthorn tree hasn’t come into flower.
“That means those insects come out early. They die off, and then when the Hawthorn does come into flower there aren’t as many insects to pollinate the Hawthorn.
“It is a vicious cycle.”
Andrew also pointed out that changing weather patterns, which is connected to climate change, is an issue.
“Wet summers are not unusual in Northern Ireland, but it is the severity and intensity of these summer storms. You don’t really remember summer storms. But they are happening now.
“Unseasonable weather will affect pollinators. They can’t fly about when there is a rainstorm.”
Andrew said these issues, of climate change, and overuse of pesticides and their effect upon insects, is an issue we all must take seriously.
“Things like wheat or grasses are wind pollinated. But the insects sustain a giant food web. They pollinate fruit like apples, pears and plums but they also feed an awful lot of birds and butterflies.
“In order to keep big things like us about the place, then you need teeny weeny things doing stuff in the background. We are backed up by microscopic things.”
Biodiversity is an issue that is gradually becoming more prominent in our daily lives.
Translink, the transport group for Northern Ireland, is continuing to survey and map pollinators in Translink’s annual pollinator monitoring programme, conducting Flower-Insect Timed Counts (FIT Counts) along the company’s transport corridors, including bus and train stations.
Running from April to September, the FIT Count involves recording broad groups of insects that visit particular flowers.
The citizen science project will help collect valuable information for the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS) and the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Translink’s Biodiversity Manager Suzanne Sinclair explained: “Insect pollinators are an essential part of the environment and our floral displays at stations and halts provide opportunities to increase local biodiversity.
“FIT counts also provide valuable insights into how pollinator populations are shifting in response to climate change