Over the past five years, The Big Bug Hunt has invited participants to report the bugs found in their gardens. By discovering what appears where and when, they are building an understanding of bug behavior and the conditions that trigger their appearance and spread. Their aim: to launch the first pest prediction service that will alert gardeners like you and I when pests are likely to be heading our way. Given forewarning, it’s easier to prevent and manage pests naturally, without harming other wildlife.
Well, drum roll please: the wait is over! This week the organizers are excited to announce that phase one of The Big Bug Hunt pest prediction service is launching.
Initially the service will track key pests that they are able to predict to an acceptable level of accuracy. More pests and regions will be added to the service as accuracy improves with additional reporting. From this week on alerts are being added to the bottom of their newsletter for anyone in the US, Canada, UK and Ireland who has registered their garden’s location to receive pest alerts.
If you haven’t yet registered your location for pest alerts, you can still do so below. This is a beta-test version of the service, so The Big Bug Hunt will be asking for your feedback about how useful and accurate they are and making adjustments based on feedback it receives.
This is just the beginning of their plans for this service. Reports of bugs from all regions continue to be vital so their team of researchers can continue to refine, improve and—most crucially—expand the service. So please keep hunting those bugs!
Pest Alerts
In order to receive Pest Alerts, please click the button below to set the location of your garden. This will be used by their system to check for which pests are about to appear in your area.
The Big Bug Hunt: such a useful tool!
Why are all insects commonly known as ‘bugs’?