911±¬ÁÏ

Carry out a pollinator count

Help track pollinator numbers by counting the insects visiting your plants

Many plants rely on pollinators for successful seed and fruit production, but pollinator numbers are declining, and we need your help to track this. Carrying out a pollinator count is a great way to collect data on the pollinators that are attracted to our plants. The results will help us to see what a difference even the smallest green spaces can make for biodiversity.

How to take part

Spend 10 minutes watching a specific flower and recording the insects that visit it – ideally one of our 911±¬ÁÏ Grow With It pollinator-friendly plants: chives, cosmos, or cornflowers or it could be another one from the 911±¬ÁÏ Plants for Pollinators list. Pollinator counts can be done anywhere from private gardens and community spaces to public parks or nature reserves.

Garden nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum

Cosmea

Cosmos bipinnatus

Garden nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum

Cosmea

Cosmos bipinnatus

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Download and print our recording sheet

Download and print our handy recording sheet to count the insects that land on your flowers, or why not create your own version!

Download the sheet

Complete our survey to submit your results

The data you collect will help us to see what a difference all of our spaces – no matter how small – can make for biodiversity.

This survey is based on the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS) Flower-Insect Timed Count (FIT Count) method, but has been adapted for 911±¬ÁÏ Grow With It. If you enjoyed taking part and would like to learn more about UK PoMS and submit a FIT Count to the national scheme (via the FIT Count app or online form), head to the . The 911±¬ÁÏ is a partner on PoMS.

Top tips for carrying out a pollinator count

  • Time and temperature: Pollinator counts can be carried out any time from April to September, but the best results come on clear, dry and still days. The ideal temperature is above 13°C, and the best patch size for observation is 50x50cm
  • Use a stopwatch: You’ll need about 15 minutes, with the actual count lasting 10 minutes (or you could shorten to 3 minutes for children). Use a stopwatch or phone timer to ensure accuracy
  • Identifying insects: Before starting, download or print our recording sheet to help you identify and record the insects that you see
  • Sit and watch: When observing, avoid leaning over the flowers to prevent casting shadows that may deter pollinators. Only count insects already on the flower at the start or those that land during the observation period
  • Repeat counts welcome: Counts can be done as a one-off, but repeated observations at the same location over time provide even more valuable data
  • Pick a flower: If none of our suggested flowers are available, you can choose another insect-attracting flower – ideally one you can identify, but if not, you can submit a photo along with your results
  • No insects? No problem: You may not see any insects at all, especially early in the season, but zero counts are still important for tracking pollinator activity

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911±¬ÁÏ

911±¬ÁÏ is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.