A bugs life: Why are flying insects decreasing?

What do you think of when you read “flying insects” - flies, moths, ladybugs – they used to be everywhere. They’d be splattered on your windows, all over your trash and addicted to your houselights. Nowadays they are sparse.  

They’ve been on a steady decline since the 70s, but an alarming 63% fall off since 2021 recorded by BugsMatter on a survey. 

(Kolbe, 2017)

Why is this the case? 

Dr Lawrence Bell from Kent Wildlife theorizes that this is the resulting effects of a historical and accelerated cycle of decline, linked to the recently extreme climate in the UK. Everyone has noticed. Spring is earlier, Summer seemingly ends in October. Snow rarely appears in the South of England. Winter is wintering. The number of insects have decreased Scotland at 65%. In England, the number of insect splats fell by 62%, in Wales by 64%, and in Northern Ireland by 55%,  since 2021.   

The main human cause of insect decline people typically think of is overusing pesticides, but a more worrying phenomenon is the temperature rise that’s affecting these insects. 

Climate change feels very out of our control, vague and inhuman – but climate change leading to insect decline is very much a result of human actions. Agricultural expansion comes at the cost of insect habitats. 97% of insects live on land. For farmers to have land for cows that produce methane: Using diesel-powered vehicles that emit millions of Carbon Dioxide and building with non-eco-friendly materials that trap heat; all to supply the demand of the people, insect lives are being trampled on.  

Soil and leaves. Bark and deadwood. Canopy. All are homes to butterflies, moths, beetles and destroyed. They can’t fly from their demise. 

Temperature isn’t the only problem, being exposed to agriculture is a massive hazard. Last year a team of ecologists from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) and within the Bavarian Climate Research Network), launched an ambitious field study on this (Bojan Stojkovski, 2025). 

Of all the insects studied, bees were particularly vulnerable. In forests and natural grasslands, areas with floral diversity, bee populations showed resilience when exposed to warmer daytime temperatures. But in urban areas, where concrete and steel materials trap heat and green space is rare, the same temperatures destroyed bee populations by 65%. Notably warmer nights were problematic. This finding is especially dangerous because global warming is causing nighttime temperatures to rise even faster than the day. As one of the study’s lead researchers, Dr. Cristina Ganuza, says, “It indicates a hidden vulnerability that has been largely overlooked until now” (Muhammad Tuhin, 2025). 

External effects: Other species are affected. 

The study extended to insects across the food chain, from herbivores to predators.  Insects higher up in the food web, like predatory beetles or parasitic wasps, were less affected by temperature extremes but suffered in agriculture dominated land. But when agricultural land had safehavens of natural habitat like woodlands and meadows, the insect populations fared better. 

What you should take away from this is that without diverse microhabitats, all species are vulnerable. Paradoxically, these insects play key roles in natural pest control, thus their decline poses direct threats to agricultural productivity itself. This isn't just about bugs. It's about your dinner, your bedroom, everything you touch and the world you move through. 

Insect population loss triggers irreversible effects across ecosystems, affecting birds, bats, amphibians, and soil health. In Europe, insectivorous birds have declined 13% as nestlings face protein shortages, while bats lose up to 50% of their nightly insect prey. Soil-dwelling decomposers such as earthworms, beetles, and millipedes have fallen by 40%, slowing organic matter decomposition by 30% and reducing carbon sequestration.  

What can we do to help? 

This issue is well within our control.  Citizen science programs and monitoring initiatives reveal that restoring habitats and regulating pesticides can reverse some ecosystem losses.  

For the average person like you and me, this means that we can help by: using less pesticide, leave some grass to grow on your lawn and sow some wildflowers ( A unique style I might add) and watch your footprint: climate change is a growing threat to a wide range of wildlife, including insects.  

Reduce your use of fossil fuels by driving and flying less, turn down your thermostat, and switch off unnecessary lights. Going organic to protect invertebrates from pesticides. Buy your food from local suppliers or grow your own vegetables. Not only will this reduce your carbon footprint, it will also help small food producers compete with massive food and farming businesses. Lastly, buy home-grown plants to help prevent invasive species reaching your garden. 

Written by Piedade Neves

References: 

1. Kolbe, (2017). A flying bees installation, one of the giant illuminated animal... [online] Getty Images. Available at: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/flying-bees-installation-one-of-the-giant-illuminated-news-photo/686245606?adppopup=true 

2. Buglife. (2022). Buglife. [online] Available at: https://www.buglife.org.uk/news/bugs-matter-survey-shows-ongoing-decline-in-uk-flying-insects/. 

3. Bojan Stojkovski (2025). Bees hit harder when climate stress combines with habitat disruption. [online] Interesting Engineering. Available at: https://interestingengineering.com/science/bees-decline-population-climate-stress-habitat-disruption   

4. Muhammad Tuhin (2025). Vanishing Wings: How Heat and Habitat Loss Are Driving Insects Toward Collapse. [online] Science News Today. Available at: https://www.sciencenewstoday.org/vanishing-wings-how-heat-and-habitat-loss-are-driving-insects-toward-collapse   

5. Patrick, G. (2026). Why Insects Are Vanishing — and Why Their Loss Threatens Ecosystems and Food Supply. [online] Science Times. Available at: https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/61123/20260113/why-insects-are-vanishing-why-their-loss-threatens-ecosystems-food-supply.htm. 

6. Buglife. (2023). Buglife. [online] Available at: https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns/no-insectinction/five-things-to-do-to-reverse-insect-decline/. 

7. GOV.UK. (2025). Energy use on farms in England 2023/24. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-use-on-farms-in-england/energy-use-on-farms-in-england-202324#fuel-and-energy-use.