Lack of insects in my garden

Oh dear, what part of the country do you live in? In my rural Midlands garden, it’s buzzing with insects. I saw ladybirds as early as March, white bottom bees and damsel flies are frequently spotted.
It sounds as if you have insect attracting plants, maybe a few more such as Persicaria, which is always covered when it flowers.

I haven’t seen many butterflies, but the bees (honey and bumble) are always very busy on the ‘big’ forget me nots (I forget what they’re called - the ones that are the very devil to pull or dig up). I always have so many, self sown every spring.

It is strange. We have a wildlife pond which used to have frogs, newts, pond skaters, dragonflies etc etc. Over the last couple of years the numbers have diminished and we have not seen any thing this year. I'm in a rural area of France which is unpolluted, as evidenced by the amount of lichen, so we are at a loss as to why this is happening. Can it be global warming - wetter winters and hotter summers?

It's early yet in central Scotland to see many butterflies, but my ceanothus was covered in bees last week. It's gone over now and the bees are on other flowers.

I was gardening most of yesterday and really noticed a lack of insects.Usually the self seeding foxgloves that are dotted about are busy with bumble bees and the caenothus hardly had an insect on it.We're in the North and it has been cool and wet most of this spring which can't help.However with the exception of a couple of other nature loving neighbours most of our seem intent on obliterating any living creature with weedkiller, strimmers and hedge trimmers whirring.Poor nesting birds.I do cut our hedges back with hand shears so we can use the paths-but leave the big tidy up until fledging is finished.One neighbour was even grumbling because a few starlings sit and chatter on a telegraph pole at the bottom of her drive.No wonder nature is struggling!

Loads of bumble bees in my Zone 2 South London garden buzzing around foxgloves, campanula and something else I don't know the name of. No sign of fox cubs yet but I think my neighbour may have blocked off all the fox runs to stop her newly acquired small dog getting out.

Hardly anything here in the south west either. I have a log pile which is meant to attract beetles but there is nothing there. Same with the bug hotel - nothing in it. I am very worried. I remember the time I went indoors as there were so many insects swarming around. Not any more. I got quite excited yesterday as there was one bee on the flowers. Considering the number of wild flowers now being planted and also in many places left to grow by the roadside, what is happening!

I blame the weather- the insects have more sense than to come out when it's so cold!

That's strange. We're in the south-east (Hertfordshire) and I was only saying to OH yesterday that I've never seen so many bees as we have had on the foxgloves, geum, heuchera, allium, thyme and chives.

Haven't seen many butterflies this year, though.

Well I am glad there are some around!<

I saw something this morning I have never seen before, a mother sparrow getting seed from the bird feeder and feeding it to her two fledglings sitting on the rose arch. Surely their diet would normally be insects?

We've seen lots of bees both at home and in public spaces (Surrey). Our garden is full of young birds - starlings, great tits, blue tits, robins, collared doves, blackbirds and some jackdaws. We saw our first thrush of the year yesterday. Unfortunately there are also the usual mosquitos. We watched a young robin a few days ago fighting to get a worm out of the lawn and there were plenty of beetles and spiders around the patio when we weeded it. I've seen a few butterflies, but I never see that many so I don't know if that has changed. Some big moths around too. One in the bedroom last night disappeared before I could catch it and I think it may have taken refuge in my coats

sassysayso We get fox cubs too when it's sunny. Adult brought three last year to play in the longer grass at the bottom of the garden. Haven't seen them this year but have had an adult walking through, so maybe when it gets a bit warmer/drier they'll come out.

Sparrows main foods are grains and seeds, but they like everything pretty much.

No problem here on the South Downs.

Butterflies I’ve seen to date include, brimstone, peacock, common or maybe holly blue, speckled wood and red Moths, but I’m not very familiar with their lovely names.

Lily beetles, lady birds, hover flies, bumbles of various sorts, shield bugs, amongst loads of others.

I never spray and leave the aphids, caterpillar etc for the birds.

So not sure what is happening near you? If you are near farm land, has the farmer been spraying?

Red admiral!!

Out in our garden in Northumberland I've seen bumblebees, honey bees and a few orange tip butterflies. Something must be pollinating as we have loads of crab apples and cherries forming.

I did some weeding yesterday but decided to leave the Herb Robert in the borders because it's flowering and the few bees seem to love it.

It wasn't been very warm yet so let's hope we see more bees soon.

Baggs

Sparrows main foods are grains and seeds, but they like everything pretty much.

The sparrows (mainly) seem to demolish three full feeders of seed in a day but then DH says he'll leave them empty the next day, hoping they'll eat the ants.

Starlings have arrived, pecking away on the lawn.

That sounds like a good plan of your DH's, Calli!

Masses of bees here, both bumbles and honey-bees. The cowberry was completely abuzz yesterday. Also, as usual, masses of midges (held off today by a good breeze) and loads of ticks.

Today I found this lovely moth. It's a Petrophora clarosata (Brown silver-line) and its larvae feed on bracken so we hope it has lots of friends to help us tackle bracken invasions from the field alongside us.

PS Love Herb Robert

It is a very pretty weed!

Ps A weed is only a plant in the wrong place.

Loads of bees here too, along with ladybirds, butterflies, and blooming lily beetles that I am in a state of war with.

My garden is fairing well.. I have a Cottoneaster in flower, dozens of Bees at least 4 diffent types spending days on it. Plus I have big Bubble bees, and Morter Bees buzzing around, I was watching them going into little holes in my wall.
Also seen Butterflies, beetles and ladybirds just today when gardening, and the dreaded lily beetle still present.
Sure I saw a Bat the other night too, so insects are around here on the South Coast.