Inspect Apocalypse

Insect declines are affecting communities and ecosystems on an unprecedented scale due to a combination of factors: climate change, pesticide use, and pollution. Humans and nature are intrinsically linked. When one succeeds, so does the other. When one fails, so soon will the other.

Part 1: The Decline of Monarch Butterflies

Monarchs are the ultimate migrator. It takes 3-5 generators to make the 3,000 mile journey from Mexico to Canada back to Mexico. Yes, their migration is not learned from a parent, but encoded in their DNA. Along the way, they pollinate for essential crops such as milkweed. The monarch population has been in decline due to habitat loss and climate change; however, the main source of decline has been attributed to excessive pesticide use.

Photo via source

In 2019, it was reported that monarch populations had decreased by up to 85% since the mid-1990s. Thirty-five percent of this is estimated due to climate change. In California alone, monarch populations have dropped from an estimated 7.6 million to 1.3 million in over two decades.

With some studies indicating that using certain types of herbicides can cause a "population collapse" among monarch butterflies. Eating herbicide and pesticide free food can help the butterfly recover. Allowing land to have local flora, such as milkweeds, as opposed to grass can also help.

Part 2: The Decline of Bees

Honeybee populations have declined for the same reasons; climate change, habitat loss, and excessive pesticides. These pollinators pollinate 80% of food crops in the United States. When bee populations decline, so does food security.

Photo via source

Insecticides like neonicotinoids are particularly harmful to honeybees due to their ability to bind to pollen tube walls, causing them to be trapped and die. In 2014, the European Parliament passed a law to ban neonicotinoid-treated seeds from being used in agriculture. In the US, this is legal.

Part 3: The Tipping Point

Pollution from oil spills, industrial waste, and automobile emissions can affect insect behavior by disrupting their reproductive systems or leading to abnormal development, which can result in mass die-offs. The amalgamation of these causes leads to the unknown of when the population is so low locally, that the species dies off and collapses.