Has anyone seen many Butterflies this year??

Question

Hi, just wondering if anyone has seen many Butterflies this year. I have only seen one up to yet. Are they dieing off or something???

Answer 1

I have only seen one by the sea.

Answer 2

There is a whole big hardly any butterflies this summer issue going on, and there are hardly any around to be honest so much so they have been deemed endangered here, I think they are either dying or moving because of the climate change going on, i have seen 2 this year 3 years ago my garden was full of them.

Answer 3

It's just this last week the butterflies have made an appearance here, we live in north East UK. We were wondering where they were too.

But just in the last few days we have had Large Whites,Small Tortoiseshells, Meadow Browns, Common Blues and a Painted Lady. No Red Admirals or Peacocks yet, which we used to get a lot of in previous summers.

Last year was really bad, all we got was the odd Large White - which I found out recently I have been mistakenly calling a Cabbage White since I was a kid.

Answer 4

Until the recent hot weather, nothing much, and then mainly browns. This year's peacocks haven't hatched yet (I have some chrysalises from caterpillars I collected). I'm expecting to see those and others when this year's adults emerge.

Answer 5

i have a lot come into my garden, I encourage them as i have a Buddleia davidii though i take the point that there is not as many as previous years

Answer 6

Yes loads of them many more than last year, especially the Red Admiral, took lots of photo's of them on the buddlea, as well as the common cabbage white,     Not seen many wasps, but loads of bumble bees. I live in Norfolk Eastern UK

Answer 7

We have a ton here in the Midwest.  I think a lot of it has to do with the particular climate you are having this summer.  If you live in a warm, dry place, you are going to have a lot fewer butterflies because various flowers that they like to live on are going to have fewer flowers due to potential drought conditions.

Also, do you live near any agricultural fields that are heavily sprayed or in the city.  If so, these factors could reduce the amount that you are seeing.

If you are interested in attracting good butterflies (not the white and yellow ones that affect cole crops or various moths like gypsy moth), plant flowers in your garden that butterflies like.  Also, you can put out a very shallow amount of water in something yellow (like a plate or a lid from a Planter's nuts container.  This will aid in attracting more.

Answer 8

I've seen loads this year in Essex, England

Answer 9

I have only seen a couple and they were only cabbage whites but according to the media there is a definite shortage this year and steps are being taken to encourage them back. I suppose it would help a great deal if we all could plant some butterfly friendly plants if one has room in ones garden of course. Let us hope they come back.

Answer 10

Not many earlier, but quite a few now.  Cabbage Whites, Red Admirals, little blue ones in the fields.  I'm in Ireland

Answer 11

Lots of butterfly's here in south Dorset, lots of different verities, to meny cabbage whites which are pests, also lots of Hornets and Wasps just emerging, also Dragon fly`s which are nice to see.

         CLIFFY.

Answer 12

i've seen a lot of those little white ones that seem to fly around in pairs- cute.

I have noticed loads more dragonflies this year!!

Answer 13

Hardly any. Before this week, just a couple; this week there have been a few.

No ladybirds or bumble bees spotted so far. There have been other bees and wasps about, but not many considering the number of flowers/wild flowers there are available.

Answer 14

Have only seen large white 2 only so far. Am concerned as I have only seen one bee. I have planted butterfly attracting plants and does not seem to have worked so far. Will try the shallow yellow dish idea though.  I live in South Wales.  300 species of British bees have disappeared. Does anyone know why?  

Answer 15

Very few,

Answer 16

My buddlia has only just come into flower and I saw two cabbage whites yesterday.  I am hoping that as more flowers appear, so will the butterflies.

Answer 17

There were not a lot this year - we are normally swimming in them all summer, but they were very late showing up and very limited in number still.

I am expecting rainfall and predatory birds and the like may have caused this to be a bad year for them in the areas they overwinter - there will be variations year-to-year, but we were wondering at first if it was only us and someone had used too much insecticide in the area and drove them away - but their numbers are just low this year.

Answer 18

I have seen more than usual this year,  Tiger swallowtails, Cabbage Butterfly's,  Monarchs and some kind of black type, probably a black swallowtail, that doesn't get close enough  to id.

Answer 19

no and no bees or wasps