insects

Britain is home to 59 species of butterfly, which all play an important role in pollination. In our expert guide, we take a look at butterfly identification, common butterfly species, how long butterflies live, and where to see them in the UK.

These stinging picnic pests don’t deserve our enmity and fear – they are impressive architects that belong to highly developed and complex societies – our expert guide to wasps looks at the common species, their lifecycle and why wasps sting.

From the striking rose chafer to the stag, beetles are a fascinating group of insects found widely throughout the UK. Here is our expert UK beetle species guide, which explains how to identify and best places to spot them.

In the warmer months of spring and summer, Britain's insect population surges with humans often becoming unfortunate prey. Here is our guide to UK insects that bite or sting with tips on how to protect against bug bites.

A garden pond can provide a haven for wildlife, offering a valuable water source and place to cool off in the summer months. Here is our garden pond guide with tips on how to look after your pond, how to go pond dipping and wildlife to spot.

Learn to identify ticks with our expert tick guide, which includes information on how to avoid being bitten, best treatment for bites, plus what to look out for if you think you might have caught an infection. Also, we look at how to protect your dog from ticks.

Keep biting bugs at bay with our pick of the best eco-friendly insect sprays

Want to get to know the bugs on your hikes a little better? Look no further than our selection of the best insect identification books.

Our bee guide looks at how to identify the different types of bees, best plants to grow, and making a bee house. Plus, what to do if you see a struggling bee.

We tend to think marvellous and exotic creatures can only be seen on nature documentaries in far-flung lands but, as our expert insect guide reveals, the UK has mini-beasts to rival the rest of the world. We just have to look for them...

Make your garden a haven for butterflies, bees and hoverflies with our guide to the best summer plants for pollinators.

An abundant, wildlife-rich nature reserve larger than the Lake District – this could be the future for Britain’s roadside verges. As our handy guide to road verges explains, all we need to do is mow them at the right time.

For the first time in more than 75 years, the short-necked oil beetle, previously believed to be extinct in Wales, has been spotted in Pembrokeshire.

Here is our pick of the best websites offering advice on how to identify different insect species, where to see and how to help insects.

Discover the small creatures that live beneath the surface of Britain’s ponds with our freshwater pond identification guide.

Most of our native flowers rely on nectar-hungry insects in exchange for pollen redistribution. Honeybees and bumblebees often get the credit, but there are many more creatures doing this necessary work. Here is our expert guide on the key insect pollinators of summer in the UK.

The Countryfile presenter examines how climate change could affect Britain's crops

Are insects the food of the future in the UK? Farmer and Countryfile presenter Adam Henson heads to an enterprising farm in the Cumbrian countryside to find out more.

Bumblebees are less able to start colonies when exposed to a common neonicotinoid pesticide – which is putting them at risk of extinction, according to new research.