Celebrate Insects You See on Your Camping Trips This National Insect Week

• 20th Jun 2018

On camping trips, insects can often be viewed as a nuisance – at best. Insect life can sometimes be seen as one of the negatives of enjoying time away in a tent, caravan, campervan or motorhome. But this week is National Insect Week, and it is about time that we campers celebrated insects rather than complaining about them. Insects are wonderful things, and it is vitally important that we all recognise that. Without them, our ecosystems would be much poorer, and we ourselves would seriously struggle to live if we lose them.

National Insect Week is organised every two years by the Royal Entomological Society and a large number of partner organisations interested in the conservation of insects. Events are occurring all over the UK, and enjoying a camping trip could be the perfect way to visit for one or more of them. You can find an event here: http://www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/events.

Getting to Know Insects

There are over 24,000 known species of insect in the United Kingdom, and hundreds of species found in almost every garden and green space. These insects are the most diverse and ecologically crucial group of animals in land habitats. Unfortunately, many insects are seriously in decline, and many species are critically endangered. Loss of insect species is more than sad – declines in insect populations cause a ripple effect that runs right through the whole of an ecosystem, causing problems for a wide range of other creatures – including us.

The Importance of Insects

Insects are so vital in ecosystems because different species perform a range of different functions. They can:

• Pollinate crops
• Aerate the soil
• Allow water to flow more effectively through soil.
• Help with decomposition and help build fertile topsoil.
• Fertilise soil with nutrients from their droppings.
• Predate pest species and help organic gardeners and farmers by keeping the ecology in balance.
• Insects provide useful substances like honey, wax, silk and lacquer.
• Provide a sole food source for many amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Without certain insects, many food chains could collapse.

So rather than moaning about ants at a picnic, wasps spoiling an outdoors occasion, flies buzzing around inside your tent, caravan or motorhome, or biting midges, why not take some time to appreciate insects on your next camping trip? While insects can sometimes seem like a bit of a pain on camping trips, we would all most definitely miss them if they were gone!