Cold snap harmful to wildlife, say eco experts

THE recent cold weather spell following a mild winter could spell bad news for UK wildlife this spring, conservationists have warned.

Frogs, butterflies, birds and bees could all struggle after a mild start to the year was followed by an extended cold snap, with the coldest April night in 70 years and snowstorms across the country, the Woodland Trust said.

The charity’s Nature’s Calendar citizen science scheme, which gathers sightings of the signs of the seasons from the public, shows many insects were active before the cold snap.

Brimstone, red admiral and peacock butterflies, along with ladybirds and red-tailed bumblebees, had all been recorded in Nature’s Calendar after emerging earlier due to a mild spring.

But they may struggle to survive if the wintry weather continues, and with fewer pollinators and extended snow, tree species such as willow and blackthorn now in flower may not thrive this year.

The cold conditions may also affect birds, which have already started nesting, and frogspawn, the Woodland Trust said.

Lorienne Whittle, citizen science officer for the charity’s Nature’s Calendar project, said: “We’ve had record-breaking early springs in recent years and 2022 was largely following a similar mild pattern, until the recent cold weather.

“Nature’s Calendar records have shown that many insects have awoken and we’ve all enjoyed these spring sights on the sunnier days through March.

“However, insects struggle in sub-zero temperatures, for example, bees will not fly in snow or very wet conditions.”

She added: “Last year, we had late frosts at the end of April, which caught out a lot of gardeners, as well as having a negative impact on trees like oak and apple trees, which flower around then. We’ll be keeping a keen eye on the records through the rest of spring.”