Science and the Media Have Opposite Views on the ‘Insect Apocalypse.’ Who’s Right?

In recent years, the term 'Insect Apocalypse,' has been used by the media to describe how industrial farming methods are causing the decline and near-extinction of various insect populations. However, scientists are saying that the media is wrong and explain what are the actual causes that threaten insect species.

In the mid-2000s, large populations of bee colonies began to decline in what was called a Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). The media called the mass honey bee disappearance as the Bee Apocalypse, and several recent reports have done theoretical studies on what the world will look like without bees.

They are the most critical pollinators, pollinating about 70% of crops that feed nearly 90% of the world. In short, losing all honeybees would result in a great disruption of the food chain, and massive losses in market fruits and vegetables.

The blame has gone to industrial farming, which has consumed lands that were once flower meadows where bees frequently pollinated. Another cause, the media suggests, is how global warming has disrupted the rhythm between budding flowers and bees emerging from hibernation, causing an estimated 50% loss in overall pollination.

A third concern for bee populations had been pesticides used in farmlands. A particular pesticide, neonicotinoids, has been a known bee killer - disruption its sense of direction and giving bees a viral infection.

Thriving Populations

However, scientists have tracked that honeybee populations have in fact remained stable and some have increased in the past 25 years. The Sierra Club, an environmentalist group, said in 2018 that 'honeybees are at no risk of dying off...the total number of managed honeybees worldwide has risen 45% over the last half-century.'

Contrary to these media claims, a recent study by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research reveal that insect populations may have declined on land areas, but have thrived in freshwater areas. Also, the increased production of crops such as cotton, wheat, soybeans, corn, alfalfa, hay, and sorghum have attracted insect species and helped their populations grow.

Ann Swengel, who had studied butterfly populations for more than three decades, said that 'We've seen so much decline, including on many protected sites. But we've also observed some sites where butterflies are continuing to do well.'

Population Decline

Scientists predict that perhaps habitat destruction causes the decline of insects, yet the overall decline of populations has been less rapid in the past few years. Moreover, it is not exactly industrial farming that has caused the decline of insect species, but urbanization.

The expansion of urban areas results in the destruction of natural habitats and large amounts of light pollution and waste pollution. Artificial lights kept on at night can disturb nocturnal insects such as fireflies, who use their mating signals at night. Moths are also highly attracted to light and fly around it until they die while other lights are too bright for insects who use the stars for navigation.

Swengel said, 'It takes lots of years and lots of data to understand both the failures and the successes, species by species and site by site. A lot is beyond the control of any one person, but the choices we each make in each individual site really do matter.'