There is an estimated 1.5 million species of insects throughout the entire world. However, these insects are facing a troubling dilemma.

That is, many populations of insects are plummeting in numbers. These insects include the “good bugs” such as bees, butterflies, and beetles. The decrease in the populations are extremely worrying because the planet depends on the lives of these insects and the roles that they carry out. Without the existence of insects, the world would not function the same way it would in today’s time.

One study shows “dwindling individual species in specific places, including lightning bugs, moths and bumblebees. [It] estimated a 14 percent decline in ladybugs in the United States and Canada from 1987 to 2006.”

How bad could it be? “You have total ecosystem collapse if you lose your insects. How much worse can it get than that?” University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy told the Associated Press in 2018. If they disappeared, “the world would start to rot.

First, insects are considered decomposers. This means that they consume dead matter. If there were no organisms that decompose, then the process for dead organisms to decay would be longer.

Second, insects can serve as pollinators. Bees are one of world’s most trusted pollinators. They help to keep a diverse amount of plants to keep growing Lastly, insects help to keep balance in nature. Many insects are parasitic or predatory. They help to maintain pest populations, such as weeds.

Science Department Chair Colleen O’Rourke said, “Because insects are the primary level consumer, everyone else depends on them. With less bugs in the environment, there would be an increase in competition and a loss of biodiversity.”

Now, what seems to be causing such a ruckus for these insects? One cause of the declination is industrialized agriculture. This cause is more troublesome for pollinators. In industrialized agriculture, the main source to keep insects away from crops would be insecticides. These chemicals have been designed to kill these insects.

Another cause is habitat loss. These insects have adapted to certain living conditions. If their homes are destroyed, they need to move in to an area that they can be less adapted to, which will surely lead to their demise. For example, the recent wildfires that have been affecting the West Coast, especially California, can be one of the major causes of the decline of insects. Because of all of this, insects have been going through a rough time these past few years. What can the Riordan community do to help these little creatures? One idea is to improve gardens or even start a new one. To attract certain insects to a garden, gardeners can add shelters and plant a diverse amount of plants.