Top Posts
African climate change projects secure major funding
Former French PM urges China, Europe to unite...
NDDC, FOSDO launch tree-planting campaign to address climate...
WHO unveils an ambitious blueprint for action on...
New report shows nearly 900 million poor people...
Lagos to Host 2025 International Climate Change Summit
New study shows overheating world will add 57...
NAICOM urges W’African insurers to invest in climate...
Climate change: Nigeria, development partners launch Net Zero...
Nigeria launches net zero project to fight climate...
EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World
World

Expert warns UK failing to monitor apparently falling wasp populations

by admineconai August 7, 2024
written by admineconai August 7, 2024
500

A leading expert has warned that the UK is not doing enough to track wasp populations as numbers appear to plummet.

Dr Gavin Broad, principal curator of wasps at the Natural History Museum said that while there were national monitoring schemes for some invertebrates, including bees and butterflies, there was no such programme in place for wasps.

This year, wasps appear to have faced a sharp decline, with the colder and wetter weather believed to have dampened their numbers, as reported by gardeners, experts and pest controllers. Board said that this gap in knowledge meant there was not enough information about the long-term population trends of wasps.

He said: “We don’t really know much about the populations of wasps. The common wasp [Vespula vulgaris] and German wasp [Vespula germanica] seem to have cycles of abundance and decline, probably a result of the weather, but there is no systematic recording of numbers.”

The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology had a pollinator monitoring scheme, he said, but this mostly focused on bees and hoverflies.

Read also: Report: Almost 500 chemicals found in England’s rivers, groundwater

“This is a shame as – anecdotally – it seems that some species are declining in the long term, whereas other species, especially the hornet (Vespa crabro) are clearly doing rather well. Wasps sit at the top of the insect food chain so the health of their populations could tell us a lot about the general state of insect populations.”

Climate breakdown is bringing more extreme weather to the UK and this is predicted by the Met Office to include heavier and more frequent downpours and disrupted seasons. This affects creatures such as wasps, which make their nests in the ground and are therefore sensitive to flooding.

The Royal Horticultural Society has said that members have been calling its advice hotline all summer asking why there are no wasps in their gardens. The horticulture charity has previously named wasps as a beneficial garden insect, as they are vital garden predators, feeding on everything from caterpillars to greenfly. They are also important pollinators.

Pollinator numbers as a whole are dropping; government data surveying nearly 400 bee and hoverfly species found that 42% have become less widespread in the UK since 1980. It is thought this is due to the prevalence of pesticides, loss of food plants and habitat due to intensive farming and development, and climate breakdown.

This year, the charity Butterfly Conservation issued a warning as its annual butterfly count had so far found the lowest numbers on record.

Story was adapted from the Guardian.

FailureMonitorPopulation.UKWasp
0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
admineconai

previous post
Report: Almost 500 chemicals found in England’s rivers, groundwater
next post
Report: Biomass power station produced four times emissions of UK coal plant

Related Posts

Former French PM urges China, Europe to unite...

October 22, 2025

WHO unveils an ambitious blueprint for action on...

October 20, 2025

New report shows nearly 900 million poor people...

October 20, 2025

New study shows overheating world will add 57...

October 16, 2025

Heaviest monsoon in a decade kills 458 people...

October 9, 2025

Council releases first fully electric bin lorry

October 9, 2025

Study shows US asthma inhalers produce same emissions...

October 7, 2025

Pope Leo hits out at climate change critics

October 3, 2025

Protesters seek $5tr payment from fossil fuel companies

October 1, 2025

UN official says climate change displaces up to...

September 30, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Bloglovin
  • Vimeo

@2021 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Eco-Nai+

EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World