The world’s top bug experts say that insects are quickly declining in population and this can be dangerous to human population.
Climate change, insecticides, herbicides, light pollution, invasive species and habit loss are the causes behind the one to two percent decline in insects every year, entomologists say.
In a special package of 12 studies by 56 scientists from around the globe, lead author David Wagner from the University of Connecticut are calling it the insect apocalypse.
The problem is that they don’t have all the pieces to the main reason behind the decline. They are also having a hard time grasping the enormity and complexity of the problem.
“Insects are the fabric by which mother nature and the tree of life are built,” Wagner said.
This rapid loss of the world’s insects is problematic because scientists say insects pollinate the world’s foods, they are crucial to the food chain and get rid of wastes.
Another problem, the general population doesn’t like bugs and spend lots of money on getting rid of them with pesticides.
We are especially seeing this decrease in honey bees and monarch butterflies, important pollinators, who have lost habitats and food sources due to insecticides.
Scientists say there is hope. Individuals can do much to reverse this decline by not using pesticides, and planting native flowering plants to provide pollinators a food source.