Conservationists have described the outlook in Kent as "alarming", with the county's reduction in insect numbers higher than the national average.
The Bugs Matter Citizen Science Survey, led by conservation charities Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife, found a 64% decline in insect numbers sampled on vehicle number plates between 2004 and 2022 across the UK, highlighting the urgent need for more, large-scale research on insects, and action to reverse declines in their abundance.
A citizen-science survey, led by Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife, has found that the abundance of flying insects in Kent has plummeted by over 70% over the last 17 years; highlighting a worrying trend and the crucial need for insect-focussed conservation research, nationwide.
The full results of our 2021 Bugs Matter survey will be published in late March, though preliminary results indicate a significant decline in the number of insects sampled on vehicle number plates in 2021 compared to a 2004 baseline survey.
Nation of insect champions needed to reverse insect decline.
Innovative citizen science project using 'splatometer' tests finds 50% fewer insects in Kent since 2004
