Dutch motorists kill billions of bugs every month

Over 133 billion insects are smashed by Dutch motorists every month thereby disrupting the food chain, a recent study reveals.

Researchers at the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands enlisted the help of around 250 drivers last month to track the number of insects killed every month.

The biologists asked each of the drivers to clean their front number plate, go for a drive and then to count the number of squashed insects at the end of the ride.

They are by far the richest species groups in all countries, and therefore play an essential role in the food chain, Reuters quoted biologist Arnold van Vliet, one of a team working on the project saying.

Many birds such as swallows, who hunt for insects, depend on insect density. If insect numbers are low they inevitably face severe problems finding food for their young, he further said.