Is it just me, or are there definitely fewer insects and other pollinators versus this time last year? Haven’t seen any butterflies yet, but we are finally starting to see some other key pollinators—like this fuzzy little bee on my alliums. Makes me happy. Hoping my butterfly weed eventually attracts monarchs and that other friends visit my Joe Pye weed and other native blooms. (Chicago, USA, zone 6b)
by TravelingGoose
45 Comments
There are fewer insects: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/03/climate-species-collapse-ecology-insects-nature-reserves-aoe
All you can personally do is not use pesticides and plant a ton of native plants
My cohosh is popular right now, but the st. John’s wort and the milkweed and the monarda and rhododendrons were hardly visited at all. This is the worst year I’ve seen for pollinators and it doesn’t feel like a steady decline from previous years — it seems more like we went over a cliff
I’ve only seen a few butterflies and half the bees and flies as we had last year (the first year of the natives garden). I have almost nothing on my vegetables. I may have to pollinate my cucumbers by hand soon.
I’m not far from you, Central Indiana.
My yard is a pollinator heaven and yes, the population is much less this year. The last year I captured multiple butterflies on camera was 2019.
It’s a good year for pollinators here in central IA, I am seeing a lot more than I have in recent years. Last year was bad though.
Down like 75% where I am at.
Upsate NY. Way less pollinators so far this year. It has been absurdly wet and then absurdly hot and I’ve been assuming that combo has not been kind to bugs.
Pacific NW here. We’ve spent the last few years making our small yard a bug friendly habitat. Small pond, no mowing, no raking of leaves in the fall, native plants and wildflowers, bee houses, watering stations in the gardens. Our yard is loaded with pollinators now. Not many butterflies, though. Seeing a butterfly feels like a rare or special occasion.
Things picked up with my mountain mint. It has bumblebees, wasps, solitary bees, and a few honeybees on it all day. I’ve also seen a couple pearl crescents and some type of skipper.
Surely I agree. I’m into my 2nd year of native planting here in a residential home area , SE lower Mich. Last year, I was so happy to see a strong population of bees and butterflies. This year, I once again am doing some video logging of the garden and it is sadly so less active than last year at this same time – and the video clips from 2024 confirm this. The same plants (common milkweed, butterfly milkweed, Agastache and field thistle) all are pretty grimly attended this year. I have these visions that ‘Silent Spring’ may be approaching sooner than later.
I was looking for a way to poll ‘the community’ about this and glad I found this group on Reddit and found your original post about this year’s decline question. Wondering if it is related to the very hot weather lately, or perhaps an uptick in my local neighbors using more pesticides on the preponderance of *over-manicured* landscapes (which I now cringe at as I drive down the street). I hope one of the organizations, like Wild Ones will carry out a more formal study of what may be going on this year.
https://preview.redd.it/rs4ctp5jxgbf1.png?width=772&format=png&auto=webp&s=9327981ff24d7312d1f226fcd7950e1a3644fdd2
What do your feelings matter? It’s a proven fact we’re destroying out ecosystem, and insects are a part of it.
There’s very few pollinators this year in Eastern PA. Very worried about that. I do have lots of fireflies though!
https://preview.redd.it/mnkgf4t10hbf1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca9030623e32b4ea133c592a61ed20c4fdb52c58
Not by me 🤘 bumblebees seem to love milkweed the most, if you have some you may get more pollinators
Yes definitely. Theres a natural ebb and flow to nature but at the same time it was a rainy spring. I dont know what else caused this.
I’m seeing a ton, even had a hummingbird visit. So many flies and bees I lost count.
Personally not on my land. I have 10 acres of garden, field and woods and I made sure it’s loaded with natives. I like to think I have a haven for them and keeping the local populations strong
https://preview.redd.it/okieacmp0hbf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26412b64e7c8b0accfc06abe75f8eb2135c5cc16
Front Range CO in my yard personally have been seeing more butterflies but maybe they are visiting more because more of the sunflowers and milkweed I planted came back.
I’ve only seen two butterflies so far this summer. I’m really worried.
Definitely seems quieter in my yard too. This is my first year with a pollinator garden too so I was expecting a bit more activity.
There are generally fewer pollinators this year than last, the major difference I observed is *when* the pollinators began to show up.
Last year, my garden was full of bees by May-ish. This year, I didn’t see many until mid- to late-June. It doesn’t sound like a huge difference but it was very noticeable (and sad) to me.
With that said, ants, thrips, and aphids have been here in record numbers and showed up very very early this year 😑
I’m in NY 7b
We are currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction event. [Here is a link](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_in_insect_populations) showing the significant decline in biodiversity, particularly among insect populations. Research indicates that various factors, including habitat loss, climate change, pesticide use, and pollution, are contributing to this alarming trend, leading to ecological imbalances and potential collapse of ecosystems reliant on these crucial organisms.
[A world without pollinators](https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/why-are-pollinators-disappearing-12-major-threats-explained/ar-AA1HpeUI)
Seems to me to be the best excuse for ripping out that ‘not aggressive invasive’ that is wasting space that a native plant should be in and for trapping non native animals.
I’m in a rural, farm heavy area in WI and the decline in insect populations has been dramatic.
https://preview.redd.it/zoy8aimw2hbf1.png?width=2565&format=png&auto=webp&s=d7df65e45f2bed49b4bd65eed944ff0e9203b74e
Think this is a hoverfly on anise hyssop. It does feel like tiny friends took longer to arrive than previous years…
Central Texas, I did not see nearly as many in early spring. But now that we’re into summer and it’s been raining for an entire week straight, but in as we headed into summer, I started seeing a lot more of them. I do have a lot more flowers planted for them this year. I have antelope corn milkweed. I have Greg‘s mist Turks cap, cross vine, Texas Mountain laurel and a ton more. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been really dedicated to adding host plants and more natives and not mowing. And it’s really starting to pay off. I also did not rake my leaves this year until May.
I was just saying last week that there seem to be fewer bees this year, but this weekend I saw several different species of bees and wasps throughout my garden. My giant hyssop was FULL of bumblebees all day every day. I also saw several hummingbirds and lots of moths and butterflies. Still no caterpillars.
I’m in Colorado. The flat part. My garden is full of flowering natives, strawberries, veggies etc. Same as last year but bigger. Bees and butterflies way down. I thought I did something wrong? It’s freaking me out. I didn’t do the clean up until spring like they say. And no bug spray is allowed in the garden. I have a few little tiny butterflies and small bees. But not as many. Plenty of flies though.
I am finally starting to see mason bees on my blanketflower. But only one or two. Last year they were literally buzzing. But I did see a monarch caterpillar yesterday and that’s a first for me, so I’m choosing to be hopeful!
I’m on year three after ripping out a blackberry jungle, so my baseline for pollinators was really low. I’m seeing a bunch of little white butterflies and about six species of bee. The first year was nothing, last year was some, this year is bumblebee heaven. Spent a good while yesterday unsuccessfully trying to get a good photo of them getting in my foxgloves
I’ve only seen two butterflies total this year. Overall activity was somewhat down earlier in the year but has been picking up a fair amount lately with bees etc. It’s still below years past but not as dreadful as earlier in the year was looking.
Butterflies are down this year, but I usually don’t get a ton anyways. I have a ton of moths this year and bees seem to be picking up speed for a good year.
They’re not considered pollinators, but I had a firefly explosion this year, after the 2nd year of “leave the leaves”. That tells me I’m on the right track at least.
Honestly, no, my yard is swarming with all kinds of bees, wasps, beetles, you name it. I can’t even keep them from getting into my house lol. Maybe this is a suburban problem?
My gardens are absolutely loaded with bees and various insects. I hope it improves in your future. (Boise, ID. for reference.)
Here in the pacific northwest, I’ve seen plenty of bees, but the thing distressing me is that I’ve only seen one butterfly that wasn’t a cabbage white.
Definitely here in Maryland there have been less this year. We had a really cold winter and the summer has been whacky temperature wise.
No butterflies 🙁
i found a single honey bee that had gotten too hot (it was too late to save her) and I had maybe a couple wood bees this whole year. I’m glad the moths are doing their thing but its bumming me out
SE Michigan and there are so few pollinators this year. I’ve seen fewer than 5 carpenter bees and only a couple of other types of bees. Fewer than 10 butterflies, too.
The plants are all here, waiting…physocarpus, monarda, swamp milkweed, echinacea, cup plant, but almost nothing.
Yep! We are at the beginning of a complete ecosystem collapse. Not much we can do but our individual best. Society has seemed to have decided that they’d rather ignore the problem. I’ve resigned myself to accepting its out of my hands and I just enjoy what I can while I can.
I’m in mid-atlantic 7B pretty well swarmed with honey bees on the butterfly bushes. Butterflies have started to make an appearance the last few days. A couple hummingbirds are regular visitors. This is our 3rd year with a focus on pollination centric flowers.
Not too far from you in Indianapolis and I’ve had a very steady supply of bees this year and the most lightning bugs I’ve seen in a long long time. Butterfly traffic seems down a bit though. Hoping they are just late.
They might all be at my place! Crazy number of butterflies and bees here this year.
Very low so far in Madison, WI. Conversely it has been a GREAT year for fireflies. I do note that most everything is also blooming late (for example Monarda).
I’ve felt this for years. When I was a kid here in Alabama my mom and grandmother had extensive gardens. They were always FILLED with butterflies and other things.
I used to catch and release them easily as a child.
Now they’re so rare. Ive watched butterflies all the time, for almost 40 years, and I’ve watched them die out.
Wondered why no one ever mentions it.
And there are SO MANY FLIES in Alabama now. At least for everyone I know in the south of the state.
There’s definitely some ecological crisis happening.
We brought the lightning bugs back over the last few years. There were hardly any when we moved in in 2020. But I’ve noticed fewer bees and butterflies. And several mosquito joe signs down the road…