Bugs, critters, creepy crawlies, minibeasts, insects, invertebrates… whatever you know them as, local wildlife charity Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust want us to celebrate our insects and realise what an important part they play in our ecosystem and our everyday lives.

Insects are pollinators of 80% of crops in Europe – that means they are responsible for most of the fruit we eat, many vegetables and some biofuel crops, which provide organic matter for a renewable energy source and an alternative to fossil fuels. But invertebrates, including pollinators are in decline. This is viewed globally as a risk to biodiversity, long-term food security and ultimately human health. So, what is being done to protect these small heroes of our natural world and what more can we all do to embrace them?

Locally, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust manage 40 nature reserves, all of which are priority habitats for wildlife. Insects are a vital consideration for conservation work, and the Trust manage grassland, heathland, woodland and wetland sites to encourage a diverse range of plant species and structure, which attract different insects, including bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies and other pollinators, many beetle species, midges, mayflies, dragonflies and damselflies. 

At the Trust’s Danemead Nature Reserve, near Hoddesdon, exciting insect discoveries have recently been made by the members of Herts Natural History Society’s Invertebrate Project. The Trust’s Nature Reserves Manager, Ian Carle, who is part of the project team said:

“I was delighted to discover Ischnomera sanguinicollis, which is a nationally scarce beetle and Conops vesicularis, a nationally notable fly. Both of these have previously only been found at a handful of sites in the county. 

“As well, as the vital role insects perform in terms of pollination, they play a crucial role in the food chain as both prey and predator. The wide-ranging nature of insects’ diets and their role in decomposition also sees them play a vital role in recycling nutrients – essential to a healthy ecosystem. Without insects, much of the wildlife we are most familiar with wouldn’t survive – take bats, birds, fish and hedgehogs, for example. That’s why protecting the habitats on our reserves is so important and so is the diversity of them. If they can support a wide range of insects in abundance that will elevate our chances of reversing the nature crisis and give us all a more sustainable future.”

Kate Sheard, Wilder Communities Officer at Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust said:

“In our homes and gardens, we can all experience insect safaris with ladybirds, ants, midges, house flies, wasps and Daddy Longlegs all being part of the fabric of our everyday lives. We might not always appreciate them but each one has a purpose. 

“Watching Swallows and Swifts catch flying insects, a House Sparrow eating an aphid, or knowing that the bats we see at dusk are eating their way through thousands of midges every night reminds us of the importance of insects. By leaving a bit of deadwood in your garden for beetles, leaf litter for woodlice and millipedes, a nettle or two for caterpillars, or creating a pond for dragonflies and damselflies, you’ll be adding to the bigger picture of our amazing ecosystem and supporting a liveable planet for future generations.”

For more news about the Trust’s work, click here and discover what actions you can take to attract insects here.