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Help butterflies as populations struggle despite hot summer
Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count reveals “worrying” results of decades of decline
The results of the 2025 Big Butterfly Count are in, and while the numbers are a vast improvement on last year’s record lows, Butterfly Conservation scientists have warned that butterflies are continuing to struggle and urgent measures are still needed to reverse long-term decline.
Following Butterfly Conservation’s 2024 announcement of a butterfly emergency, the sunniest spring and hottest summer ever recorded in the UK provided good weather conditions for butterflies in 2025. However, the results from the national count show that despite this, it was far from a bumper summer for our beleaguered butterflies.
Participants recorded an average of 10.3 butterflies during each 15-minute count. Though a marked improvement on 2024’s record low of just 7, this number is only average by modern standards – a concerning result in a year with beneficial weather for butterflies, according to Butterfly Conservation scientists.
© Iain H Leach, Butterfly Conservation![]()
The holly blue butterfly has had its second worst year on record in 2025
What is happening to our butterflies?
The holly blue butterfly has had its second worst year on record in 2025
Butterflies need two things to thrive – good weather and a healthy environment.
Dr Richard Fox, Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation, says: “We may feel like we’ve seen lots of butterflies this summer, but that’s only because last year was so awful.
“Last summer’s results were the lowest we’ve seen and a stark warning that many of our common butterfly species are facing significant pressure from challenges linked to habitat loss, climate change and
“The 15-year trends show that among widespread species, more than twice as many have declined significantly than have increased. And, while most species have had a better than average summer, a third of species fared poorly even in the generally beneficial weather.
“There remains a need for us to take urgent action to support our butterfly populations, including by improving the environment in which they live, restoring habitats and reducing pesticide use. Until we do these things we are unlikely to see a great recovery in butterfly numbers, regardless of how much the sun shines.”
Winners and losers
Some butterflies did show a rise in numbers this summer. The large white and small white both recorded their best ever Big Butterfly Count results. The Jersey tiger moth had a record year, being recorded more widely and in higher numbers than ever before.
By contrast, the holly blue had its second worst Big Butterfly Count result on record, the common blue its third worst and the meadow brown its fourth worst. The small tortoiseshell, which had its worst Big Butterfly Count result on record in 2024, showed some improvement, but still recorded a below-average year and has declined by 60% since 2011.
© Luigi Sebastian, Butterfly Conservation![]()
The Jersey tiger moth has had a record year for sightings in 2025
How you can help butterflies
Butterflies are key indicators of the UK’s The Jersey tiger moth has had a record year for sightings in 2025
Dr Richard Fox says: “We’ve reached a critical moment. The time to take action for UK butterflies is now. We know the weather impacts their numbers, and with the summer we’ve just had, we should be seeing them in far greater numbers. Even when the weather is good, the environment still supports far fewer butterflies than it used to.
“We must now do more to improve the habitat that our butterflies live in. This is why Butterfly Conservation is calling for an end to the unlicensed use of butterfly-killing synthetic pesticides, and asking retailers to take them off the shelves. We are in a nature crisis. We should be providing people with the tools to help and not the means of destruction.”
Butterfly Conservation research shows that letting parts of your garden grow wild with long grass can increase butterfly numbers by up to 93 per cent
How to make your garden a butterfly haven
As well as avoiding pesticides, there are several things you can do to help butterflies in your garden:- Plant butterfly-friendly flowers, especially in warm, sheltered places. A well-thought out garden can attract over 20 species of butterfly. Include plants that flower from spring through to autumn. Start with wallflower ‘Bowles’s Mauve’, marjoram, buddleja, lavender and Verbena bonariensis.
- Don’t forget to grow caterpillar food plants. If there is nothing for caterpillars to eat, there will be no butterflies. A meadow of mixed grasses feeds a wide range of species. Wild plants such as alder and purging buckthorn, elm, willow, holly, birdsfoot trefoil, garlic mustard, lady’s smock and sorrels are all caterpillar food plants. Keep in mind that some of the most valuable plants are those you might have considered removing, including ivy, docks, thistles (welted, creeping and giant – Onopordum) and large patches of nettles.
- Leave fallen fruit under trees. Butterflies such as the red admiral and painted lady will feed on fruit juices in fallen over-ripe pears, plums and apples.
- Be aware of overwintering adult butterflies. Some species such as peacock and small tortoiseshell overwinter as adults in sheltered dry places, often being found in garages, sheds and other outbuildings. Some may overwinter in heated buildings and become active. If this happens, attempt to capture the butterfly in a container and release it in an unheated outbuilding. Remember to leave a window ajar or other gap so that the butterflies can escape in the spring.
- Go peat-free. Peat bogs are home to a unique range of wildlife, including the large heath butterfly, which is in decline across Europe.
- Join in with the Big Butterfly Count in summer 2026 to report how butterflies are doing in your area and help scientists keep track of population numbers.
Butterfly Conservation has launched a ‘rescue mission’ for the UK’s butterflies, and is asking people to sign its open letter to retailers calling for the removal of toxic synthetic The Big Butterfly Count will return in 2026, between 17 July and 9 August, so make a note in your diary to help scientists continue to monitor how butterflies are faring in the UK.
