Where are the insects?

[Hedjwitch]

A lot of chat on social media as people comment on the lack of insect life this year in their gardens. I have noticed it in mine certainly despite it being well stocked with insect friendly plants and habitats. The cold wet spring has played its part but is it part of a terrifying general decline? How are things in your area?

Well that's somewhat reassuring @Bearybasket ! 😊

Useful too from Prof Dave Goulson:

We get ants every year in the kitchen. We just leave them alone and they go again.
Every year there are 100s of them sprouting wings and flying around- not this year..

No bees here. 😔 plenty of flies and ants though. Not seen any wasps since April either. The lack of pollinators is very concerning.

Plenty of bees, spiders, aphids and assorted creepy crawlies here, but only a few ladybirds. I haven't seen any hoverflies at all, and not expecting butterflies until our buddleia flowers.

My fuschia is usually very busy with bees and I've barely seen any.

Lots of talk about this locally. I’m seeing lots of ants/wood lice in the garden, slugs galore, almost no bees/butterflies. I’ve planted a windblown buddleia (sp?) even though I hate them because they self seed everywhere, but bees/butterflies seem to love them.

Edited to say yes, lots of spiders, all wanting to live in my downstairs loo!

The flies must be with me. Definitely a good year for horseflies, gnats & crab flies.

Swallows & swifts doing well too this year. Fledgling swallows currently all over the place.
Last year I don't think any survived - don't know why other than bird flu was ruled out.

No nightjars at all on the heath now & drastic decline in larks & other ground nesting birds. That's due to the increase in off lead dogs straying from paths. Even a dog with perfect recall will destroy a ground nest in seconds if they are not kept on paths.

Not seen any lizards or snakes at all which is unusual.