What's Up With Insects? And Why Should We Care?

In the last 25-30 years, we’ve lost more than 45% of the insects on the planet.  Much of this loss is due to habitat loss, pesticides and climate change.  As Dr. Doug Tallamy, entomologist and author of Nature's Best Hope (found in SJUMC library), has said, “if you look at a landscaped area and see nothing moving, there is something wrong."

Why are insects so important to protect?  Insects represent 70% of all animal species on the planet and pollinate 75% of all crops.  Insects—as pollinators, recyclers of nutrients and food for other creatures—are essential for life on earth. One way to help insects is to grow native plants because they and insects have evolved together over time, meaning many insects only eat or lay eggs on specific native plants, providing them with a vital food source and habitat that non-natives cannot.  One excellent resource is npsot.org/resources/native-plants/native-plants-database/. Another great reason to “go forth and plant natives”!