Experts say the number of insects in Maine is dropping

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 31, 2026

Reliable, long-term data about the populations of the thousands of insects in Maine is generally limited, individual observations don’t necessarily indicate trends, and many factors can influence their behavior, according to naturalists. But numbers of insects — which pollinate plants, including crops, and fill a key role in the food chain — have declined sharply worldwide in recent decades, and it’s having noticeable impacts in Maine. “Whether you care [about insects] or not on a species level, every living human should care if you want to keep living,” said Doug Hitchcox, a naturalist at Maine Audubon. “We need insects.”