With an estimated 5.5 million different species, insects are the most diverse group of animals on our planet. Even so, many more have yet to be discovered. In fact, insects include 80% of life on Earth. However, both the number and diversity are declining around the world due to habitat loss, climate change, and various accounts of pollution. Many of these very tiny, yet important creatures face extinction within the next few decades.

Why Should I Care about Insects Going Extinct?

While there are many insects that look nasty or seem like pests, they have a wide range of services and importance to other plants and animals in our lives. Many insect species are critical to the survival of most life on Earth and are the foundation of the food web.

According to the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, roughly 35% of the world’s food crops depend on pollinators to reproduce, and continue to grow. They help the food we eat that comes naturally from farms and gardens. More than 100,000 different animal species play roles in pollinating the roughly 250,000 kinds of flowering plants on Earth, thanks to insects like bees, moths, butterflies, flies, beetles, and wasps being the most known and common. Some insects are also predators to pests that may harm and eat foods being grown, which lessens the population of insect species we actually don’t really approve of. Thank you, insects!

Some insects are alive to remove waste. They are known as decomposers, so they break down dead materials, like leaf litter and animal carcasses, into simpler materials in order for plants to take in the nutrients as well. They basically recycle nature’s materials that any other species will let go to waste. That is mostly why flies are always associated with stinky trash because they are the species that break down dead matter and eat it up.

While I have been in support of keeping insects alive, they are always the main meal at keeping many other animals alive. They are full of protein and rich in nutrients, perfect for many reptiles, amphibians, and birds. So, if populations of insects completely go extinct, some other species and the food chain may completely collapse.

We also depend on insects for honey, dyes, silk, medical research, and to learn about the history of ourselves and the world. They are incredible creatures that are considerably unthinkable compared to other forms of life!

What Can I Do To Help?

Local, national, and international efforts can help solve this crisis of insects going extinct. Cultivating part of your yard or balcony into an insect-friendly habitat is one way you can help, even a little bit, in slowing down or preventing this insect decline.

Allowing natural vegetation to grow freely is beneficial. Native insects evolved with and prefer native plants. Additionally, native plants can help increase the diversity of local insects by providing a huge and varied food web that helps other animals and insects thrive in the surrounding environment. Planting native plants and leaving that area untouched attracts pollinators and creates a natural habitat for insects. Over time, seeds and flowers will spread and attract many more insects, birds, and other small critters. Any fallen leaves and overgrown vegetation should not be touched or trimmed as many insects depend on newly grown material and structure to thrive!

Reduce or completely get rid of pesticide usage by considering approaches that are specific to the pests nearby. Many pesticides and herbicides affect other insect species that are not the ones causing the issue. For example, ladybugs can help out a garden by consuming harmful insects over their lifetime. They can eat up to 50 aphids a day, while eating around 5,000 throughout their lifetime. Even just their odor can cause aphids to alter their behavior, lower their reproduction rates, and avoid settling on a plant even before they feed on it. By cultivating insect-friendly outdoor spaces and not using any pesticides or herbicides, you can also increase the amount of insects that can naturally control any pests.

Light pollution is another major issue that declines the insect population. Many nocturnal insects are attracted to artificial lights that can kill them. Light pollution has doubled in some biodiverse areas on Earth. Turn off any unnecessary outdoor lights, or invent in a motion-sensor light if they are really needed.

While human actions are driving insects to extinction, there are other actions we can take to help them from collapsing! Even if they are a little ugly and weird sometimes, they are still a huge necessary part of our lives!

Why will insects going extinct be a huge problem for us? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!