Gardeners are being urged to help protect hoverflies, vital yet often overlooked pollinators.

The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) highlight that hoverflies are second only to bees in importance for pollination. These stingless insects also provide food for birds and assist in breaking down organic matter in gardens.

However, their numbers have declined due to intensive farming, pesticide use, and climate change.

In 2022, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature added hoverflies to its Red List of threatened species.

“Hoverflies are a tiny but essential part of the natural world,” Andy Coulson-Phillips, BBOWT’s principal ecologist, said.

“They are vital for pollinating both wildflowers and garden plants alike, so we’d love everyone across our three counties to invite them into their gardens or outside space.”

Often mistaken for bees, wasps, or hornets due to their bold colours and markings, hoverflies can be recognised by their unique behaviour—hovering or zigzagging near plants. Unlike bees and wasps, which have two pairs of wings, hoverflies have only one.

Some of the most common species, including the Batman, Footballer, and Marmalade hoverflies, are named for their striking patterns.

Vicki Hird of The Wildlife Trusts calls them the “hidden heroes of our gardens and countryside.”

“Whatever their shape, size or disguise, they are critical for our food security,” she added.

Helen Bostock of the RHS encourages the public to “open their garden gates to hoverflies this summer” and support their conservation.

She said: “Gardeners can help attract them by planting open, easily accessible flowers.

“In spring, they’ll be drawn to aubretia. In summer, they’ll love blackberry flowers, oxeye daisy, marigolds, fennel, cow parsley and poppies. Come autumn, they can be seen on heather, aster and even common ivy.”

 

 

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