Flight of the Bumblebee

The 'splat' technique for estimating numbers of flying insects has been used in the UK for several years. The technique merely requires 'citizen scientists' to count the number of collisions their car number plate has had with flying insects as they drive. The numbers of insects can then be estimated in relation to the distances travelled. Very worryingly, the numbers of splattered flying insects (bees, butterflies, flies, beetles etc) declined by 64% between 2004 and 2022. The Kent Wildlife Trust/Buglife a 5% reduction between 2021 and 2022 (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/15/flying-insect-numbers-plunge-64-since-2004-uk-survey-finds). This decline in flying insect numbers is of great concern as many of these invertebrates are pollinators of crops. They consequently carry out activities of great agricultural, as well as environmental, importance. Flying insect numbers are crashing throughout Western Europe. The decline is probably linked to over-use of insecticides as well as changes in land use.