How can we save pollinators in Ireland before it's too late?
Bees, butterflies, beetles, wasps, hoverflies, and even bats shuttle pollen to fuel plant reproduction, powering ecosystems and 35% of global crop production. In Ireland, they're the quiet heroes behind apples, oilseed rape, and wildflower meadows.
But this romance is hitting a rough patch. Pollinators are in steep decline, and science has blind spots. Who are these pollinator A-listers and B-listers, and how can Ireland save them before the credits roll?
Bees: The Pollen-Packing Heartthrobs
Bees are pollination's leading stars. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and Ireland's native bumble bees (Bombus) make flowers swoon. Bumble bees shake pollen loose from crops like tomatoes, while honey bees tumble through blooms, their fuzzy bodies snagging pollen with ninja-like precision.
But the buzz is fading. In Ireland, 30% of bee species face extinction risks, mirroring global pollinator declines. Habitat loss (farmland and cities now cover nearly half of Earth's land) squeezes bee homes. Pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, disrupt their memory and behaviour.
Though banned for outdoor use in Ireland and the EU since 2018, these chemicals linger: a 2023 study found neonicotinoid residues in pollen collected by honey bees and bumble bees from Irish fields, even without recent applications. Add climate change, which throws flower blooming schedules off-kilter, and bees face a stinging triple threat.
Butterflies: The Fluttering Influencers
A six-spot burnet moth sitting on knapweed
Butterflies aren't just garden eye candy; they're pollination's charmers. Their long tongues sip nectar, brushing pollen as they flit between blooms like knapweed, vital for Ireland's hedgerows. They're less efficient than bees but keep wildflowers thriving.
Yet butterflies are declining. Ireland's marsh fritillary is among those at risk. Climate change plays dirty: warmer springs nudge butterflies to emerge early, only to find their flowers haven't bloomed. Picky caterpillars, like tortoiseshells needing nettles, starve if host plants disappear.
Nature's Lovable Weirdos
Not all pollinators sport stripes. Meet the B-team: beetles, wasps, ants, hoverflies, and maybe even shrews. Flower beetles stumble through daisies, pollinating grasslands. Wasps pollinate ivy in autumn. Ants sneak into tiny thyme flowers, while blowflies step up in Ireland's rainy spells when bees stay home. Hoverflies zip between wildflowers and double as aphid assassins — nature's pest control.
Thyme in flower — ants that climb into tiny thyme flowers act as pollinators. Picture Thinkstock/PA
Moths are pollination's brooding romantics, visiting night-blooming plants like honeysuckle. Some research has shown that they boost crops like rapeseed but work the graveyard shift, so they're overlooked. However, light pollution can scramble their navigation Even shrews might brush pollen through clover as they scamper. It's a small role, but it shows how diverse nature's cast is.
The catch? Science focuses on bees, leaving these B-listers as extras.
Native pygmy shrew — they act as pollinators when they brush through clover. Picture: NFF Caption
Wild Card: The Pollinating Frog
Nature loves a plot twist. In Brazil, scientists found Izecksohn's Brazilian tree frog (Xenohyla truncata), the first known pollinating amphibian, diving into milkfruit flowers with pollen on its back. It's a quirky case, but it highlights how little we know about pollination's full cast.
Though most frogs are strictly insectivores/carnivores, there is one species of frog that is a frugivore (eating primarily raw fruits).
The Izecksohn's Brazilian treefrog (Xenohyla truncata) eats small fruits whole and plays an important role in the environment dispersing seeds! pic.twitter.com/rCUSQuajZq — Frog Facts (@Facts4Frogs) January 30, 2021
Ireland lacks pollinating frogs, but our own gaps (like small mammals' roles) deserve a look.
Ireland's Pollinator Crisis
Let's not sugarcoat it: pollinators are tanking. In Ireland, 30% of bee species and several butterflies face extinction risks. Habitat loss, pesticides, and climate chaos form a brutal triple threat. Pesticides disrupt bee behaviour, while climate-driven mismatches leave pollinators and flowers out of sync.
We know the pieces but not the full puzzle — how do these stressors interact over time?
But we do know what we need to do, and that's the important part.
Solutions: Ireland Can Steal the Show
We've got a script to save pollinators, but it needs scale. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan promotes wildflower strips that boost pollinator numbers. Cutting pesticides, as the EU's Green Deal aims to do by halving use by 2030, is critical.
Urban gardens, restored hedgerows, and citizen science (like recording sightings on the National Biodiversity Data Centre's app) make every community a pollinator haven. Small actions, like planting native wildflowers or leaving nettles for caterpillars, add up.
Protecting pollinators isn't just about saving bees; it's about safeguarding the systems that grow our food and give life to our landscapes.
The science is clear, the stakes are high, and Ireland has a chance to do something about it. Let's give these pollinators the encore they deserve before nature's rom-com fades and the credits roll.
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