Record low butterfly count in Netherlands gardens this year

The Butterfly Monitoring Reports' yearly butterfly count has never seen such a low number of butterflies. On average, the organization reported based on temporary numbers, five butterflies per count. The lowest number before this was eight butterflies per garden.

This was the 16th time that the butterfly count was held. The atalanta was seen the most in the gardens of the counters, followed by the small white and the peacock butterfly. The small white won last year, and the peacock butterfly was seen the most in the years prior to that.

Ecologist Kars Veling of the Butterfly Monitoring Reports said the reduction in the number of butterflies fits an ongoing trend. During counts for the National Butterfly Measurement Program, the foundation has also seen fewer butterflies "year after year."

"We are seeing a combination of factors," said Veling. "The Netherlands is an intensely used country. This results in living areas being lost but also a loss of quality in living areas due to the reduction of water quality and because of nitrogen. And the extremes of climate change give it an extra push down." He called it a very average result.

For people who want to attract more butterflies to their garden, the advice is to plant more blooming plants. "Stones out, plants in. This is also for yourself," said Veling.