Bug splat survey shows decline in insect numbers

The Bugs Matter survey has been carried out annually for 20 years

Conservation research data has revealed a "troubling" fall in insect numbers in Kent.

The annual Bugs Matter survey recorded an 89% decline across the county over 20 years in the number of dead insects on vehicle number plates after journeys.

The latest survey, led by the Kent Wildlife Trust and the Buglife conservation charity, was completed by hundreds of volunteers in Kent and across the UK.

A Kent Wildlife Trust spokesperson said the findings were "terribly alarming" and could have "devastating consequences".

Kent Wildlife Trust said insects are "critical" to the survival of the planet

Since the first reference survey in 2004, an analysis of records from nearly 26,500 journeys across the UK shows a continuing decrease in bug splats.

The number in 2023 saw a 78% drop nationwide.

Insects are critical to ecosystem functioning and services, according to Kent Wildlife Trust.

A spokesperson said: "They pollinate crops, provide natural pest control, decompose waste and recycle nutrients, and underpin food chains that support birds, mammals and other wildlife.

"Without insects, the planet's ecological systems would collapse."

Dr Lawrence Ball, from Kent Wildlife Trust, said: "These results are incredibly concerning and illustrate the scale of the crisis facing insect populations in Kent and the UK.

"Insects are critical to the survival of our planet as we know it - a world without them is a shocking thought indeed.”