A few years ago, when we took the road for vacation, it was not surprising to have to stop, sometimes frequently, at a highway rest area to wipe the windshield with a cloth. of the car, riddled with impacts from insects hit during the trip.
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While many generations still remember these episodes as an integral part of the journey, things seem to have changed today. Indeed, many travelers keep an immaculate windshield during their journey, without traces of insects. A boon for drivers? In reality, this apparent cleanliness is synonymous with a bad omen.
Indeed, as many drivers have noticed, fewer and fewer insects seem to end up on car windshields. Far from being trivial, this observation reflects a worrying general trend: the insect population is decreasing from year to year.
Windshield syndrome
Researchers and entomologists who study the issue have even given a name to this phenomenon: windshield syndrome, a measure that may seem random at first glance, but which in reality perfectly illustrates the presence (and therefore the reduction) of insects. in our ecosystems.
To try to understand the extent of the phenomenon, several studies have been launched over the years. In the United Kingdom, for example, a participatory project, to say the least unusual, has emerged.
78%!
Named “Bugs Matter”, this study aims to quantify the decline in insect populations by involving interested volunteers. The principle is simple: grids are distributed to participants, who then install it on the license plate of their vehicle. During their travels, insect impacts are recorded, and then compared to previous years.
The effectiveness of this study has, in a few years, made it possible to precisely determine the reduction in insect populations. Thus, it appears that between 2004 and 2023, the presence of insects decreased by… 78% in the United Kingdom. A figure that impresses as much as it worries.
Several factors have been put forward to explain this phenomenon: climate change, but also the use of pesticides, as well as the loss of numerous habitats for insects. And, as experts point out, this reduction already poses several big problems, both at the level of our ecosystems and for the food chain.
