Butterflies - where are they?

I have seen very few. I’m hoping more will come along now that the buddleia bushes are starting to flower. We have quite a few house martins, no swallows.

I’ve seen more this year than for the last few years! Admittedly a different country and obviously different conditions but I was thinking that at least the intense heat suits someone.

No, I've not seen as many this year in my normal routine, although I did go on a short canal trip in May and saw a lot of orange tips along the route.

Which country do you live in, dustyangel?.

I was saying the same to a friend just yesterday.

I’ve seen a few ,red admirals and brown mottled sort,but no cabbage whites and they are normally the ones I see most of.

All the pesticides and weed killers have finished them off. Hardly any bees either 😢

Not many around here either, and I don’t use chemicals in the garden. More bees than butterflies, and no ladybirds. I’m thinking of ordering some online.

We are awaiting major house and garden works to start, consequently garden has been pretty much left to it’s own devices apart from the lawn being mowed, we have lots of butterflies here.

I've seen a few large whites in the garden. Out walking there have been a few red admirals and peacock butterflies. Not as many as in previous years.

We planted a buddleia a couple of years ago, hoping it would attract butterflies but alas, so far we've only seen a couple or three cabbage whites.

There was a very pretty moth in the conservatory yesterday. It settled down too high up for me to reach but DH went to rescue it with the spider catcher. Just as he tried, he said a very fat spider rushed out and took it.

Hardly any insects at all here.
Derby, semi rural, huge field at te bottom of the garden and woodland.
I haven’t seen a caterpillar or an earwig for years. No ladybirds too. I actually cried about it the other day.
You could hardly open the bathroom at night because so many moths flew in, but not now.
We used to have housemartins every year, but last year they came and immediately went as there was obviously nothing for them to eat.
I’m really worried about it

Bathroom window

Why are there so few butterflies this year in the UK?
Butterfly populations fluctuate naturally from year to year, largely due to the weather. This latest update appears to show that the extreme drought conditions experienced across much of the UK in the summer of 2022 has had a significant impact on some butterfly species.
30 Mar 2023

I'm out in the garden every day at different times and I have not seen one butterfly so far this year .
I haven't seen many bees either .

I have bee friendly plants and I've decided to grow some wild flowers in future .

Quite a few seen daily now on a large Buddleia bush directly opposite our kitchen window. Red Admirals predominantly, with some Peacocks and Painted Ladies, and the very occasional Cabbage White. This is in North Northumberland, in a rural setting. Yes, they're sadly very much in decline, and it's not just Butterflies. Insects in general are threatened. Sounds a wee bit gross, but just look at the front number plate of your car to check the "splat" count these days. So much less than in the past, when I had to regularly clean it off. Just another sad example of how the human race are poisoning this world which we call home.

Thanks Callistemon
By the way, do butterflies like your namesakes? 🦋

Am leaving the attractive (to butterflies and bees) floral alone. the numbers this year are much fewer than previously. Apparently our crop growers are using pesticides to enhance their income, which has killed millions of butterflies, bees and many other species. Man has also reduced the rainforests.

I saw butterflies fluttering around the Crape Myrtles, yesterday.

All insects seem to have declined, perhaps a better description would be that their populations have collapsed. I frequently walk in an area of SSI which used to be full of insects, butterflies everywhere, but no longer. Very sad as many birds live on insects and their decline will follow. I see very few swifts now where there used to be so many and the places I sit to watch bats seem to have fewer flying at dusk. What have we done!

I’ve purposefully left some nettles in quiet areas if my garden as Iknow manyspecious of butterfly rely on them for laying their eggs. I think we’ve all been too tidy for years and if course there’s the mania for spraying everything that moves with poison.
Used to have hundreds of house martins around here, only seen about six this year and haven’t spotted any nests.
My garden is full of pollinator friendly plants but the insects are just not there. Really upset about it.

FannyCornforth

Thanks Callistemon
By the way, do butterflies like your namesakes? 🦋

Usually, yes and so do bees, but they've ignored me so far this year.
I was a bit late blooming 😁

Not seen many yet this year (Birmingham, England), but yesterday I was talking to the gardener and we saw our first few bumblebees.
I have a garden full of lavender, so I know that a son as it starts coming into flower, as it has done in the last couple of days, that's when the bumblebees and butterflies all come visiting for their summer hols, they'll be here from now until early October.

My beautiful Callistemon bush has also come into flower in the last few days, so I'm sure that will also be attracting the butterflies and bumblebees to my garden.

It's such a shame that the Callistemon only flowers for a few weeks once each year, mine is in my front garden and I get so many lovely comments about it when it's in flower.

I haven't noticed any butterflies either but also no House Martins nesting this year, first time in many years. One good point (touch wood) is no dratted Blandford Flies so far. Usually appear May & June and always get bitten but none so far.