Insects in trouble: threats and how to help

Science · Insects & Minibeasts · ages 9-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

What does light pollution do to nocturnal insects such as moths?
- Helps them find flowers faster
- Confuses them and disrupts their behavior
- Makes them grow bigger wings
Which of these is a threat to insect populations?
- Habitat loss
- Recycling paper
- Bird feeders in the garden
True or false: Pesticides sprayed to kill pests can also harm helpful insects like bees.
Circle one: True False
Look at the chart. About how many bees (out of 100) were left in 2020 compared to 1980?
Answer: ______________
Why does it matter to people if bee numbers keep dropping?
- Bees make gardens noisier
- Bees pollinate many of the crops we eat
- Bees only affect other insects
Which action would help insects the most?
- Spraying the garden with more pesticide
- Planting a patch of wildflowers
- Leaving more outdoor lights on at night
True or false: Removing hedgerows to build new roads has no effect on nearby fruit and vegetable crops.
Circle one: True False
Zara plants only one type of flower and says it will help all pollinators equally. What is the problem with her plan?
- Pollinators avoid gardens with flowers
- Planting just one flower attracts pests instead of pollinators
- One flower type helps fewer kinds of pollinators than a mix of flowers

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Confuses them and disrupts their behavior · Bright lights at night confuse moths and throw off how they find food and mates.
Habitat loss · Habitat loss takes away the wild spaces insects need to live and find food.
True · Many pesticides do not tell the difference between harmful pests and helpful insects, so bees and butterflies can be harmed too.
30 · The bar for 2020 is much shorter than the bar for 1980, showing that far fewer bees remain.
Bees pollinate many of the crops we eat · Bees pollinate fruits, vegetables, and other crops, so fewer bees can mean less food for us.
Planting a patch of wildflowers · Wildflowers give insects food and shelter, which helps them survive.
False · Hedgerows are habitat for pollinators, so losing them can mean fewer insects to pollinate nearby crops.
One flower type helps fewer kinds of pollinators than a mix of flowers · Different insects prefer different flowers, so planting a mix helps more kinds of pollinators than just one flower type.