Butterflies have a hard time; Last year the least butterflies were counted since the start of the counts. This is according to new butterfly figures from Statistics Agency CBS and the Vlinderstichting.
“It is good to realize that butterflies and other insects have an important function for nature,” says Chris Van Zwaay, project manager at the Vlinderstichting.
In 2024 the butterfly populations decreased on average by 56 percent, with that the count reached the lowest level ever. Nine of the 54 butterfly species surveyed had the lowest numbers since 1992. Over the entire period, thirty species of butterflies deteriorate in number and only twelve species ahead.
Butterfly work group Drenthe is currently investigating farmers’ land butterflies. “We fear the worst here in Drenthe, but we want hard figures,” says Stefan Pronk, chairman of Vlinderwerkgroep Drenthe.
The fifteen most general butterflies in the Netherlands have also decreased by more than 35 percent in the last ten years. “Butterflies are one of the few insects where we can map out how they are doing. This is not only an indication for the butterflies, but also a indicator for other insects,” says Van Zwaay.
These insects play an important role in nature, for example they are pollinators of flowers. “At the moment, cultivated insects are being plotted in places to pollinate. That is actually not the intention, because there should be more than enough insects to pollinate everything.”
In addition to the fact that butterflies ensure pollination, they are a food source for other animal species. “Butterflies are bird food, which is now becoming less available. This now has consequences for birds and later also influence other animals.”
Van Zwaay mentions the problems that influence the decreasing butterfly populations, a many -headed sample. He thinks of nitrogen, climate change and pesticides that are used. And there are smaller problems that can be done faster. For example gardens that are completely tiled. “You don’t have to be highly educated to remember that a fully tiled garden is not good for the insects.”
There are already initiatives in Drenthe to stimulate the preservation of the butterflies. Pronk: “We have a roadside council. The province, water boards and municipalities in Drenthe have agreed to manage their verges and banks ecologically. This ensures that butterflies get more living space.”
You can also contribute to the retention of the butterfly populations in the Netherlands. “Wip a tile to put green in it,” says Van Zwaay. It is important that you use a wild plant there, says Pronk. “People sometimes think: if my plants have a tan and bloom, I do something good. But often this does not provide something good at all. Instead of plants from garden centers, for example, put herbs or native plants down, you really contribute.”
You do not have to renovate your entire garden immediately if you would like to contribute to the preservation of the butterfly. Doing nothing is often even better, Pronk indicates. “The Pentecostal flower is currently in bloom, here butterflies lay eggs on it. When the flowers are no longer in bloom, the grass mowing is often going to mow over the flowers. Just when the caterpillars come to life on these flowers. If you leave these flowers you help keep the butterflies in a simple way.”
The major problems must ultimately be resolved nationally, but if that happened, the butterfly populations can certainly increase again. Van Zwaay: “A lot is possible, but you have to want it.”