Are Moths Better Pollinators Than Bees?

When I think of pollinators, I picture bees, butterflies, bats, or flies. But I imagine moths to be unlikely pollinators.

A recent study by the University of Sussex looked into the efficiency of different bugs and found that moths are more efficient than day-time pollinators! I’m going to go into more points about their findings, their study is linked here.

Why do we need pollinators?

Pollinators are vital as if they don’t get to ‘work’ we won't have fruit or seeds from our plants! You can hand pollinate all your flowers but it is boring and fiddly work.

When a pollinator lands on a flower (to drink nectar or eat pollen) they pick up the pollen on the anther and transfer it to the next flower. Once a flower is pollinated it will grow into a fruit. The fruit will grow seeds, and the seeds will be spread by whatever ate the fruit.

The pollinators can also cover a large area, reaching more flowers and keeping the biological diversity within the plants. Less diversity means that if a plant gets diseased (affected by pests, or other stress conditions), the chances of it wiping out a whole group is less as they are not all genetically the same! Source paragraph 1 intro, line 8

Are moths better pollinators by bees?

Over 10 sites, they found that although most bramble flowers were pollinated by day-time pollinators, moths were able to pollinate the flowers a lot quicker! Their conclusions are that although day-time pollinators have more time to fly around, moths are much quicker and more efficient.

In their study, a patch of brambles was left to flower and monitored. The result of the moths’ success at night proves that even small efforts to support the wildlife have a huge benefit to the environment. Brambles are often seen as a horrible weed with their spiky stems and determination to grow anywhere they want. But letting some grow is better than none!

Nocturnal animals like hedgehogs, bats, and birds eat moths. Encouraging more moths will also help with supporting their populations.

What plants are best for moths?

Plants with a strong smell at night will attract your moths! These include:

• Honeysuckle
• Jasmine
• Smeet/Jasmine Tobacco or Woodland Tobacco
• Sweet Rocket

For caterpillars, try growing

• Hazel
• Hawthorn
• Bramble
• Blackthorn
• Marjoram
• Mint

Photos posted with permission from UKMoths

How many species of moths are found in the UK?

There are over 2,500 species of moth in the UK with around two thirds in decline, and 170 are threatened.

The rarest moths in the UK include the broad-bordered bee hawk-moth, dark crimson underwing, scarlet tiger moth, and plumed prominent.

The website UK Moths has a great beginners guide for moth spotting, listing their top 20 common finds! Find the link here.

How can I encourage more moths in my garden?

• Leave more debris - caterpillars of moths will like to hide away under dead leaves in your garden. If you are not a fan of the look, hide the debris behind your border!
• Don’t remove all your weeds - native moths will eat the weeds in the garden, ones that naturally grow, so keeping small wild patches provides a food source
• Reduce pesticide use - pesticides will kill and harm any insect, not just unwanted ones!
• Trim hedges less often - unruly hedges will provide a habitat for caterpillars to grow

 

Thank you very much for reading my post!