Insect populations drop even without direct human interference, a new study finds

Even in areas relatively undisturbed by human activity, insect populations are on the decline, with climate change as a likely culprit. That’s the finding of new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The study, published in the journal Ecology , calculated the density of flying insects during 15 summers, between 2004–2024, in a remote meadow in the Colorado mountains.

The bugs collected included common flies — and a wide range of other, mostly winged species.

The insect populations were found to have declined by an average 6.6% annually — a 72.4% drop over the 20-year period.

The world’s insect population is in decline — and that’s bad news for humans

Environmental writer Oliver Milman says habitat loss, pesticides and climate change are killing off insect