Mr. Ehlert, international studies show that, worldwide, more and more insects extinction. What can you do in Berlin?
A lot of. Anyone who has a garden or balcony, should as far as avoid goes on insecticides. Many insects are not able to live alone because they are poisoned. In addition to a few people when buying plants, whether or not this bienennähr are plants. Many plants bloom beautifully, but are less nutritious for insects. Even dead Material such as sticks and Leaves are important: On the balcony you can let the summer planting until the spring, so insects can overwinter in it.
What you can do for insects, if you don’t have a garden or balcony?
tenants can speak to your housing Association and ask if you can change something to the planting. The more diverse our herbs and perennials are surfaces, the more insects we have. Many want to have beautiful insects like butterflies, but not a nettle. But the one the other needs. That’s why untidy gardens, with many so-called weeds are supposedly very important.
Urban Gardening, the Planting of public areas, a good Alternative?
Urban Gardening has rather the function to deal with the environment and nature. Who has no balcony or garden, but his children, the close-to-nature would like to bring, can do on the smallest of surfaces something for insects. You may not expect miracles, but even on a square meter of garden space can suddenly come out of the caterpillars of tagpfauen eyes, snout beetles, or Ladybird species. Because insects can smell very good and perceive it, fly to these areas. As a habitat for the animals, but that is not enough.
What do you think of projects like “Berlin is buzzing,” in which bee-hives in the city to be placed?
Basically, it is good for the Public that we have in the city as well as insects. But one must not forget that honey bees account for the diversity of the insect world, but the wild bees and all other species of insects. We have more than 300 species of wild bees and suggest more than 15,000 species of insects in Berlin. That we can breathe, we owe to the ant. Because you, and many other insects, which convert organic substances into plant-absorbable materials, which can then grow the plants and us humans oxygen donation. That’s why insects are nothing Annoying, but Vital.
More about
Ecological collapse What is the Disappearance of the insects means for us
Richard Friebe
Derk Ehlert (51), wild animal expert at the Berlin Senate Department for the environment, transport and climate protection.
