Buglife - caring for those insects....

We’ve signed up as a sponsor of Bug Life as they promote the well being of all insects which are pretty important for maintaining the health of our ecosystems, biodiversity and life on our planet. There’s an obvious synergy with making cider and perry as the existence of our business is predicated on the work of insect pollinators who ensure the continuation and success of the yearly apple and pear crop. We think of sunshine and rain as being necessary but insect pollination underpins the whole process.

‘If we and the rest of the back-boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the world’s ecosystems would collapse.’ Sir David Attenborough

An exercpt from Buglife and just why it’s important:

Pollinators in trouble

• Half of our 27 bumblebee species are in decline
• Three of these bumblebee species have already gone extinct
• Seven bumblebee species have declined by more than 50% in the last 25 years
• Two-thirds of our moths and 71% of our butterflies are in long term decline.
• Across Europe 38% of bee and hoverfly species are in decline; only 12% are increasing.

Pollinators face a perfect storm of problems:

• Unpredictable/extreme weather resulting from our changing climate
• Intensive farming, which has fragmented and isolated flower-rich habitats and affected the quality of much that still remains
• Pesticide use – intended for the ‘troublesome’ insects but killing the beneficial ones too
• Loss of flowery habitat to urban growth and the associated sanitising of the nearby countryside
• Inappropriate tree planting on flowery habitats
• Loss of and damage to brownfield sites.

Imagine living in a desert with barely any food, water or shelter. That is what much of the modern British countryside is now like for many wild pollinators.