Where Have All the Butterflies Gone?
And What We Can Do About It—Right Now
This afternoon I was out mowing—not a grand job, just tidying what’s left of the lawn, clipping off the seed heads. It’s the kind of job that lets your mind wander a bit. And as I passed by the Buddleia, my so-called butterfly bush, something felt off.
It was warm. Sunny. The kind of still midsummer weather when butterflies should be everywhere.
But there weren’t any.
I passed that bush three or four times and not a single flutter. No peacocks. No red admirals. No tortoiseshells. Nothing.
And it got me thinking.
It’s Not Just Nostalgia—The Butterflies Really Are Vanishing
Like many of you, I grew up in a time when butterflies were part of everyday life. You’d walk through a meadow and they’d lift up in clouds. Even a quick drive down the A40 meant a windscreen covered in moths and flies—messy, yes, but also proof that nature was everywhere.
Fast-forward to today and that background hum of insect life has gone worryingly quiet.
And sadly, it’s not just something we’re imagining.
The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme reports that three-quarters of butterfly species in the UK have declined in abundance or distribution since the 1970s. The small tortoiseshell, once one of our most familiar butterflies, has dropped by more than 75% in parts of England.
It’s the same with moths—according to Butterfly Conservation, the total number of moths in the UK has fallen by around 33% since 1968.
So What’s Causing It?
There’s no single reason. But there are a few major culprits:
1. Habitat Loss
Over 97% of wildflower-rich meadows have vanished since World War II. Hedgerows, woodland glades, orchard edges—so many of the places butterflies relied on are gone or heavily managed.
2. Pesticides and Weedkillers
Even in gardens, routine use of herbicides and bug sprays is reducing insect life. Caterpillars, the young of butterflies and moths, are especially vulnerable.
3. Climate Disruption
Our seasons are shifting. Warmer winters, late frosts, early springs—it’s confusing plant flowering and insect lifecycles. Some species are emerging before their food plants are ready. Others are simply not coping with the heat.
4. Changing Gardens
Paved driveways, artificial lawns, and a drive for ‘low-maintenance’ designs have quietly stripped out many of the wild corners where insects thrived.
What Can Gardeners Do About It?
Here’s the good news: gardens, especially here in Bishops Cleeve and the Cotswolds, can become mini-reserves for butterflies. And even small changes make a real difference.
Plant for Butterflies
Add just a few of these to your borders or pots and you’ll give nectar-starved butterflies a fighting chance:
| Nectar Plants (For Adult Butterflies) | Caterpillar Food Plants |
|---|---|
| Buddleia (butterfly bush) | Nettles (yes, really!) |
| Verbena bonariensis | Cabbage family (whites) |
| Echinacea (coneflowers) | Grasses (many browns/skippers) |
| Sedum (Hylotelephium) | Holly (for holly blue) |
| Marjoram, thyme, mint | Buckthorn (for brimstones) |
Even a few pots on a sunny patio can help—just avoid pesticide use and feed your containers well.
Create a Wild Patch
Leave a patch of lawn unmown. Let it flower. Tuck a few nettles into a corner behind the shed. That messy little space might be the most useful bit of your garden.
Choose Plants with a Purpose
When you’re choosing new plants, think beyond the flowers. Does it support life? Is it a nectar source or a food plant? Even something as simple as leaving ivy alone can provide crucial winter cover and late food.
Avoid Pesticides and Sprays
If you must treat an outbreak, go for targeted, manual, or organic methods. Many of the broad-spectrum sprays kill everything—including butterfly larvae and other beneficial insects.
Your Weekend Challenge
Here’s a small challenge, just for this weekend:
Spend 10 minutes in your garden. See what’s fluttering by. Are there butterflies? Bees? Moths at dusk?
Choose one thing to change. Maybe it’s planting a pot of verbena. Maybe it’s skipping the weedkiller on the patio.
Join the Big Butterfly Count. It runs each summer from mid-July to early August. It’s a brilliant way to see what’s still around—and your records help scientists track the bigger picture. Find out more here.
It Starts With Noticing
Sometimes the first step is just to notice what’s missing.
That empty Buddleia made me stop. And once I stopped, I remembered what it used to look like—and why I want to help bring it back.
So let’s not wait until it’s too late. If every gardener in our village planted just one butterfly-friendly plant, or left just one patch wild, we might just turn the tide.
Let me know in the comments:
Have you seen many butterflies this year? What plants are they enjoying in your garden?
Let’s share what works, what’s flowering, and what’s missing—together, we can make our gardens sing again.
Happy Gardening,
Marcus