The importance of insects

The importance of insects..

By now the skies over Yaxley will be empty of Swifts circling overhead as they have gone on their migration to Africa. To be able to make such a long journey over sea, deserts and jungles they needed to fatten up on flying insects.

Many bird species are sadly in decline – loss of habitat due to development and changes in land use, less nesting places to lay their eggs and fewer insects on which to feed their young. You may have noticed there have been not so many butterflies around this year. Less insects means less food and so less birds in your garden.

When I first moved to Yaxley you would regularly hear Cuckoos calling in the village – no longer. They can still be heard out on the fens nearby but it is no longer a certain sign of spring. Yaxley gets its name from the Cuckoo and they feature on the village sign. The Cuckoo itself feeds on insects and so do the birds that the Cuckoo uses to raise its young.

We can all do our part to slow down the loss of these iconic species. Yaxley Countryside Volunteers put up nesting boxes where they can and we manage the Community Orchard to encourage insects. Flowers for pollinators, food plants for caterpillars and long grass for grasshoppers and crickets all feature. We monitor the wild plants and the insects we find there. It is a simple solution in some ways – more plants means more insects which means more birds [and other wildlife]. We also provide log piles and bug hotels for creatures to hibernate over winter. We manage the fruit trees in an organic way and accept that some of our apples may have passengers come harvest!

The Community Orchard will be open to the public for Apple Day on Saturday 19th October and there will be activities and displays in the Owen Pooley Hall too. Look out for the posters around the village nearer to the date or check out our website for further details.

If you would like to help us with our work supporting local wild life then do get in touch. 

Contact us at secretary@ycv.org.uk