Pollinating insects flock to plants gardeners might think of as ‘weeds’
Summary
A long-term study in the UK shows that plants often called "weeds," like ivy, hogweed, and bramble, attract the most pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies. Citizen scientists have been monitoring insect visits to flowers in gardens since 2017, revealing important plants that support pollinators.Key Facts
- Ivy flowers got the most insect visits, with an average of 22 visits in 10 minutes.
- Hogweed and bramble are also highly attractive to pollinating insects.
- Non-native buddleia attracts four times more butterflies and moths than many other flowers.
- The study lasted eight years and involved volunteers counting insect visits in UK gardens.
- Hoverfly numbers declined by about one-third in both numbers and species in the last eight years.
- Solitary bees, honeybees, beetles, and flies (except hoverflies) increased in numbers during the study.
- The study was done by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
- Volunteers can participate in future counts from April to September through the Pollinator Monitoring Scheme.
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