Total Absence Of Butterflies This Year

[Optimus Prime]

Wondering whether this is a regional thing or something more national. I have yet to spot more than two butterflies this year. It could have something to do with a large plant (more than 20 years old by the looks of it) that normally attracts them in the garden, which looks as if it might have died after the cold winters over the last few years. But in many other places, where you'd expect to see them in abundants, near parks and places with lots of flowering activity for example, there are none.

[Rob]

Now you say it, i can't say i've seen any this year :S

[kar999]

There's plenty of moths at dusk on our flowering honeysuckles so it can't be the lack of nectar giving plants. I remember noticing there were loads of butterflies earlier in the hot dry spring so this years summer lot have yet to apprear.

Record spring as butterflies arrive earlier than ever Some nearly two months ahead of schedule

‘Many of the butterflies we've already seen will be having second broods - which means there could be a profusion of butterflies in July and August.

Edited June 26, 2011 by kar999

[James M]

Yeah I remember seeing quite a few earlier in the spring and we're still in the "June gap" atm, so not many around until the summer broods emerge.

[The PIT]

Not many here either. Doesn't help that the Buddleja hasn't flowered which normally attracts a few to the garden. Normally there's cabbage whites flapping around and to be honest there's none.

[Cookie]

I don't think I've seen any yet either!

[Zenarcher]

Saw about 2 or 3 but that was weeks ago not seen any since.

[Candice]

Had quite a few in April but noticeably absent now. Have had hundreds of bees also until today, there is a distinct lack of any sort of bee around today.

[bobbydog]

where we live, we have no street lights so we tend to get inundated with moths at night with our lights on. we get loads of different species from spring onwards, especially ermine moths. ( the poplar hawk moth was a good one - sounded like a demented helicopter had flown into the room!) there was a report a few weeks ago about a plague of their caterpillars, so i was expecting an invasion. last couple of years we have had around 20 moths in the bedroom on any given evening. this year our highest count so far is about 4!!!!

come to think of it, i haven't seen many bats either

Edited June 26, 2011 by bobbydog

[Optimus Prime]

Well the maybugs were out in full flight over April and May, gawd I thought they were going to break the window pain at times. Seen quite a number of dead maybugs around this year though...come to think of it a lot of dead birds laying around too. Must be the maybugs eating the birds and butterflies and perhaps this would explain the lack of slugs too.

Edited June 26, 2011 by Optimus Prime

[osmposm]

Pretty normal here in SW London. Large White, Blues (Common & Holly), Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma & Speckled Wood are all around (the last two both much commoner these days than they used to be); also Orange Tip & the odd Brimstone earlier in the year. Others, too, I think, though I've not been gardening much this year, and I'm not good at identifying the less distinctive butterflies anyway!

Edited June 27, 2011 by osmposm

[Wynn D Woo]

Just had to chase a pesky cabbage white out from the netting over my purple sprouting , they are about but not too many at the moment around these parts.

[The PIT]

Saw a cabbage white the other day but otherwise zippo. We're being asked to count Butterflies rom 16th July. Should be very easy. Nil.

Edited July 13, 2011 by The PIT

[Coast]

Seem to have around the same amount of butterflies her this year. Even had a Red Admiral flutter into the office last week.

What I haven't seen this year are any wasps or bees - despite bumper crops of fruit and flowers in the garden and hedgerows.....

[johnholmes]

there seems less butterflies than usual but bees seem about the same, not seen a wasp yet. The test for butterflies will be any day now as the Buddleia is coming into flower.

Edited July 13, 2011 by johnholmes

[frogesque]

there seems less butterflies than usual but bees seem about the same, not seen a wasp yet. The test for butterflies will be any day now as the Buddleia is coming into flower.

Ours has just bloomed and right on cue this morning - a Red Admiral! A few Whites and some brown Ringlets also about.

[The PIT]

there seems less butterflies than usual but bees seem about the same, not seen a wasp yet. The test for butterflies will be any day now as the Buddleia is coming into flower.

Thats a point John our Buddleia is also coming out now and so far none at all today although it's probably not a good day for Butterflies.

[Typhoon John]

We had quite a lot of butterflies in the Spring, in fact I'd go so far as to say an unusually large amount, but not so many since then. I've seen quite a few moths of various types.

There were plenty of wasps around two Sundays ago but not seen any more since.

[shuggee]

Just had what looked like a Red Admiral fly into the flat and out again 90 seconds later. Think she enjoyed it.

[johnholmes]

well after the request on BBC I think it was to spend 15 minutes in your garden counting them!

Even my shocking maths stood up to that test; in fact I've done it twice today in the sunshine. One gave 2 the other the huge total of 4 and that with the budleia in nearly full flower.

[Guest]

Lots of bees on our lavenders - they love it.

[The PIT]

Of course there's one problem with this counting. How do you know you're not counting the same one twice???

[Alan Robinson]

It seems it is an international phenomenon. Here in Denmark - despite my 5 Buddleias - we have this year just a very small number of butterflies about. All the common species are affected, but most notably the whites. My cabbages seem to welcome the development

[The PIT]

Don't think I'll be doping the count tomorrow. Rain stops play.

[Polar Maritime]

Ive seen 8 butterflies this year.... Lots of moths about at the moment in the evenings. Can anyone explain the lack of butterflies for me? I find it quite worrying

Apart from the awfull weather today

Edited July 16, 2011 by snowrob