Rebugging the Planet: The Remarkable Things that Insects (and Other Invertebrates) Do And Why We Need to Love Them More

by Vicki Hird, Gillian Burke (Foreword)

This is a lovely little book that could and should have a big impact. ..Let's all get rebugging right away! Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Meet the intelligent insects, marvellous minibeasts and inspirational invertebrates that help shape our planet - and discover how you can help them help us by rebugging your attitude today!

Remember when there were bugs on your windscreen? Ever wonder where they went? We need to act now if we are to help them survive. Chris Packham, Isabella Tree and George Monbiot are but a few voices championing the rewilding of our world. In Rebugging the Planet, Vicki Hird adds her voice to this chorus, explaining how our planet is headed towards 'insectageddon' with a rate of insect extinction eight times faster than that of mammals or birds. Rebugging the Planet gives us crucial information to help all those essential creepy-crawlies flourish once more.

Hird passionately demonstrates how insects and invertebrates are the cornerstone of our global ecosystem. They pollinate plants, feed birds, support and defend our food crops and clean our water systems. They are also beautiful, inventive and economically invaluable - bees, for example, contribute more to the UK economy than the Queen!

Rebugging the Planet shows us small changes we can make to have a big impact on our littlest allies:
Learn how to rebug parks, schools, pavements, verges and other green spaces.Leave your garden to grow a little wild and plant weedkiller-free, wildlife-friendly plants.Take your kids on a minibeast treasure hunt and learn how to build bug palaces.Make bug-friendly choices with your food and support good farming practices. Begin to understand how reducing inequality and poverty will help nature and wildlife too - it's all connected.

So do your part and start rebugging today! The bees, ants, earthworms, butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, ladybirds, snails and slugs will thank you - and our planet will thank you too.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Environment, Biology, Animals, Ecology

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2021

Reviews

[Catie Hunt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. It had plenty of facts and citations describing the ways we've damaged the environment and harmed the quantity and diversity of our bug populations. I really liked the very practical calls to action throughout that gave practical, achievable advice for beginning to slowly undo some of the harm we've done to the creepy crawlies of the world. It was nice to have personal anecdotes from the author sprinkled throughout. Unfortunately, I found myself skimming the last third of the book and just wanting it to be over. It felt somewhat repetitive in nature and there wasn't enough of an emotional connection created between the reader and the information. It felt like I was reading a Wikipedia page rather than a book and I found myself skimming for the highlights the same way I do with most Wikipedia pages.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about the loss of biodiversity, especially in the invertebrate community. This is a very important book about a topic not many people focus on and when people do it's usually in regards to bees and butterflies. I liked that this author touched on many different species we should be worried about losing. This book was very informative and easily digestible. If you have any interest in bugs, invertebrates, and/or biodiversity in general I think this would be worth a read. I loved that it gave the reader so many resources and ways to help no matter your background/where you come from.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate cosmetically perfect produce. I love bugs.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Chelsea Green Publishing for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

This is going to be another "weird" review, in that I DNF'd this after skimming about halfway through, but that wasn't because this was a bad book, not at all, but because it depressed me too much.

This book depressed me because it highlighted to me how we humans seem to only be good at one thing, killing other living things, even to the detriment of ourselves and others.

However, that being said, I find this book to be SUPER important right now and I think it needs to be read and shared with everyone on this planet, especially those who don't understand how absolutely VITAL invertebrates are to the environment, food webs and basically the survival of everything else, including humans, on this beautiful blue ball we call home.

Policy makers and companies need to get their heads out of their posteriors and realize that ruthlessly putting money and power above all else comes at too high of a cost for everyone and everything on this planet.

(HOP) Ok, I'm off of my soap box.

4, insanely important for everyone to read and understand and DO something about but kinda depressing book, stars.

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

With over 40% of insect species at risk of extinction the time has come for us to pull together and help the little critters out! And this book is the perfect guide and call to arms for us all to get rebugging and all play a part in doing our bit!

The author speaks with tremendous passion for all things creepy crawly, and has been an environmental campaigner for a number of years and is now sharing her thoughts on just how serious the situation is for bugs and humans. Without them we're screwed!! And she explains why throughout the book which really helps you understand how they all help in their own little ways.

It touches on the staggeringly scary way humans have impacted on the wellbeing of insects and the environment. BUT we have a chance of turning it round and this book has a wealth of ideas and hints on how we can change our attitudes towards insects and instead of reaching for the pest control or screaming 'eeewwww' at them, we begin to encourage them and work with them in our spaces - be it a garden, windowbox, park, school grounds...let your children play with worms! Teach them to love them and not fear them!

I'm happy to say that I am a great fan of wildlife in my garden so do all I can to encourage as much in as possible, and this book has introduced me to new ideas and ways of rebugging and rewilding my garden so I'm excited to put some of them into action and has made me more determined to do all I can to keep my garden as wildlife friendly as possible!

The author also shares ways of using less harmful products indoors as well - it all adds up to helping the environment and I found it to be a really enlightening read and will be dipping back in and out to try out more ideas and learn more about these amazing little creatures! There's lots of information to think about and act on!!

The perfect book for those already interested in wildlife and the environment, or those just setting out to learn some practical ways to help out!

[Pam Dawling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vicki Hird has a passion for insects, and this book brings home to us how much depends on the well-being of invertebrates in the world. Insects are a cornerstone in our ecosystem, and we must reverse the current dangerous decline in bug populations (40% of insect species are at risk of extinction and 33% more are endangered). We are heading towards “Insectageddon.” After reading this book, I found myself being much more careful about gathering up insects inside the house and taking them outside, where I imagine they will thrive better. Did you know that spiders rest calmly in your gently closed hand? They do not wriggle and tickle!
We need to overcome any aversion or indifference to creepy-crawlies, and change our attitudes to respect, appreciation, and some humility if possible. Insects pollinate plants, recycle waste into nutrients, control pest species, add air channels in the soil, and ultimately return themselves to the soil food web.
Vicki explains how to rebug our city green spaces, grow gardens without pesticides and weedkiller, teach children to appreciate small creatures, make choices that support insect-friendly (planet-friendly) production of food and fiber, and make wider choices that affirm human dignity and equal rights.
This book has charming insect drawings, and delightful anecdotes: “I was never going to get the pony I wanted, so I settled for an ant farm at an early age.” Studying biology at school led Vicki to a summer job observing bees at a research station. A later job investigating cockroaches led her to respect them and realize that it is humans that need better control, more than roaches do.
Vicki has been an environmental campaigner, lobbyist and researcher for about 30 years, and is the mother of two children. Vicki is also head of the Sustainable Farming Campaign for Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming, a UK alliance of organizations and communities advocating for healthy food, people and environment, and equity in society. She has a website for Rebugging.
Those over 50 (and maybe 40) will have noticed that long car drives no longer lead to cars covered in smashed bugs. There are fewer butterflies. More than twice as many insect species as vertebrate species are at risk of extinction. I noticed on a trip to England after an absence of a couple of years, that the number of sparrows has plummeted. We are more likely to get distressed about the charismatic mega-fauna, but less so about formerly ubiquitous sparrows, and even less about insects. There may be 4 million unidentified species of insects (as well as the million we know). In the UK 23 bee and wasp species have become extinct since 1850.
So, what is ‘rebugging’? It is a form of rewilding (the introduction of similar-to-natural ecosystems and missing species into an area and then waiting to see if the species can settle in). It is somewhat controversial, and alone is insufficient to cause all the changes we seek. We also need changes in policy, lifestyle, and civic involvement. This book provides information, encouragement and tools to act.
What would the world be like without bugs? “A great image that has been doing the rounds is a picture of a bee saying, “If we die, we’re taking you with us.” It’s not an empty threat, but a fact – we would not last long without insects. Our flowering plants would die off; all the species that dine on insects would be lost, followed by the next ones up the chain; dead animals would pile up undigested; trees would cease growing in the compacted airless soil.
But this is not our inevitable future. We can step back, as we have done when the dangers of DDT, CFCs, and nuclear weapons became blindingly clear. We can work to restore habitat, reduce damage and make political and economic structural changes at all levels in society. We can start by “rebugging our attitudes.”
How can we protect and nurture invertebrates? We can help research what’s out there. We can encourage others to be concerned and take action to protect invertebrates. We can teach others about the value of insects for human well-being. We can make havens for wildlife, convert every city street into a biocorridor, share designs for pollinator-friendly gardens, encourage conservation of water and other natural resources, make urban farms and community gardens.
The book is studded with sidebars on aspects of the value of insects, such as “How much is a bee worth?” (The answer is over $3,000 per hectare in pollination services, for wild bees) That’s more than 651 million GBP to the British economy.
Insects are food for many animals such as poultry, fish and pigs. And some insects could be food for humans. I ate a 17-year cicada last time they were in our area (2013). I was partly inspired by Jackson Landers’ book Eating Aliens. And really, if you can eat shrimp, you can eat meaty insects. But Rebugging isn’t mostly about eating insects, but rather preserving their lives, and benefiting from their contributions.
If you are still unsure what bugs do for us, the second chapter spells it out. We would be knee-deep in manure, leaf litter and dead animals within weeks, if there were no bugs eating it all, and enriching the soil. Tardigrades (water bears or moss piglets) are the most resilient animals known, able to survive extreme temperatures, pressures, dehydration, oxygen deprivation, starvation and radiation. They can remain in suspended animation for years until conditions improve. They have already survived all five mass extinction events, and some have been revived from a hundred-year-old sample of moss in a museum. Respect, please!
Avoid spraying wasps with pesticides-in-a-spray-can. They are as useful as bees and ladybugs, and are the best pest control we have for hauling away cabbage caterpillars. If you are more motivated to provide accommodation for ladybugs than wasps, keep moist dark places like old hollow stems, bark pieces and logs where the adults can overwinter. I could really use some early-spring-wakening ladybugs in our hoophouse to tackle the aphids!
Carefully introduced biological bug control can reduce the amount of pesticides used. A scientific risk assessment is an important first step, though. The 1930’s introduction of cane toads in Australia for pest control was a terrible mistake. The toad was a worse pest than the bugs had been. There are many more success stories than disasters!
Rewilding can be complicated – looking at a huge overgrowth of creeping thistle is alarming. Happily, the biggest migration of painted lady butterflies came over and laid eggs on the thistles. The resulting spiny black caterpillars ate the thistles down to the ground. UK organizations have been creating maps of “insect superhighways” they are calling B-Lines, that will be filled with wildflowers so that insects and other wildlife have continuous corridors to travel from one area to another. There’s a two-page spread of possible actions to help the rebugging process, starting with publicity and education, and moving onto helping build bug-friendly habitat in public places and workplaces and private gardens.
Green public spaces can include a wide variety of invertebrate species. Look on derelict land, in cemeteries, along grass verges, and even on golf courses. Many companies and local authorities are now wanting to manage their land in ways that support more wildlife, and with encouragement might move another step in that direction. Tiny public orchards and forests are being planted in some places. There is a sidebar of actions to reduce deliberate, accidental, and thoughtless damage to insects.
After starting small and local, you might be ready to expand your ambitions and commitment. The overall total mass of insects is estimated to be falling by 2.5% every year. One big factor pushing species towards disaster is climate change. This is a big one to tackle, and yet we must. Overwintering numbers of monarch butterflies (the celebrities of the insect world) have dropped to less than 1% of their 1980’s population. Yes, compared with 40 years ago, the population is now just 1/100 of what it was. When food species arrive, peak, or leave earlier in the year due to changed temperatures, the predator species goes undernourished. Pesticide contamination gets a lot of blame too.
Water pollution also harms diversity. Leached fertilizers in estuaries have created ocean dead zones. Combating climate change might not be what you expected to read about when picking up a book on rebugging the planet, but it is vitally connected. We can learn from bugs about climate management. Honeybees have learned how to mob an invading Asian giant hornet and cook it to death. In Brazil, scientists discovered an area of 200 million termite mounds each spaced 60 feet from its neighbors. This is all one colony, connected underground. Some of the mounds are over 4,000 years old. They have created a stable environment for millennia. The methods of ventilation and gas exchange could be copied for human habitation.
Are 5G phones heating insects 370% above normal levels and cooking them in the electromagnetic fields they generate? It could be true, based on research on models. The action list at the end of this chapter urges us to avoid 5G phones if we can, and not to use them outdoors if we must have one.
The chapter on why our farming, food and shopping all need bugs opens with a discussion on almond milk. The “dark reality” is that huge almond plantations need millions of bees brought in every year for pollination. Thousands of colonies are moved in to California’s Central Valley, for example. 30% of these bees die, because the environment is hostile, devoid of crops other than almond trees. Local wildlife cannot survive either.
It is a mistake to think that all vegan milk-substitutes are environmentally better than all dairy milk. It takes roughly 4 gallons of water for every gallon of milk a cow produces. Almond milk is much more intensive on water use: it can take up to 101 gallons of water to grow 1 cup of almonds, plus another 3 or 4 cups of water to manufacture almond milk. In fact, many commercial almond milks only have about 2% of almonds in them – the rest is water!
Bugs and other small animals can thrive in pastures if the livestock management is done well. The stock numbers and types are important.
Did you know that more than 70% of the world’s fish stocks are over-fished, depleted or collapsed?
We could also consider the impact of our decisions about textiles, timber and metals, on wildlife and ecology. The average person in the UK now buys over four clothing items a month! Less than 1% of clothing textiles is recycled. The waste mounts up. Forests are destroyed to make way for cotton plantations. Even if organically grown, cotton monocultures destroy habitat of thousands of species of butterflies, moths, termites, wasps, bees, and other bugs. Ironically, the cotton crop is then a sitting target for the bollworm moth. Genetically modified cotton was developed to overcome bollworm problems. A few countries resisted the siren call of GM cotton, and use integrated pest management (IPM) instead. They have lowered costs and increased yields.
While worrying about cotton, let us not forget synthetics and the huge problem of microplastics. In 2016, for example, 65 million tons of plastic textile fibers were produced. They do not decay. They are found everywhere on the planet, from the Arctic to the ocean depths. Ingestion of microplastics causes problems for marine life. The dyes cause disease, and can kill corals.
The action list for this chapter focuses on reducing waste. Think before you buy, think before you throw away. If you can, switch to consumption of locally sustainably produced goods.
The action lists that close each chapter get longer, the connections get wider. Politics and the economy might not be the direction you expected from this book, but these topics are all part of the connected system, and all need consideration and action. Termites and corals co-operate within their colonies to create and maintain large healthy populations: we can do it too. (Corals are symbiotic associations of bugs (coral polyps, which form the exoskeleton) with several thousand species of animals and plants living within. Algae provide oxygen and carbohydrates.)
Big investors own shares in seed companies, just to make money. They have no interest or incentive to protect bugs or any aspect of the ecology. “It’s as if some beetles decided to take all the ants’ food supplies even though they cannot eat or use them. Money accumulation is hard to eat.”
Frustratingly, vested interests have too much power in decisions that affect large groups of people. We tend to avoid tackling entrenched societal problems. Vicki suggests three big areas to understand and deal with: poor governance and politics; inequality and poverty; runaway consumerism and waste. If you only wanted to read about saving beetles, you might be tempted to put the book down at this point. However, in order to save beetles, we need to look at the underlying causes of beetle die-offs.
Decisions on land use are often made by corporations and investors less focused on protecting biodiversity, and more on profits. We need to show them that enlightened self-interest can protect their financial success for the long haul. Some corporations are seeing this now that climate chaos is biting hard. Pushing humans to get three-quarters of their calories from just four crops (soy, wheat, rice and maize) may bring in fast bucks, but gives little resilience against climate change and extreme weather conditions, and is bad news for biodiversity.
Research has shown that as social inequality grows, so does harm to biodiversity, which leads to more inequality. Financial pressure from profit-seekers drives down wages, leading to a demand for ever cheaper food, spiraling to lower costs of production. They wring out higher short-term yields. Sustainability of food production goes to the wall. Desperate people take desperate measures to cover their basic survival needs. In 2020, the UN announced: “to bend the curve of biodiversity loss, we need to bend the curve of inequality.”
The action list for this chapter is over 5 pages, demonstrating the broadening of the goals. Campaigning, lobbying and voting; pushing governments and economists to balance social and environmental concerns and work for sustainable outcomes; requiring corporations to show much stronger accountability for all the results of their activity; supporting companies that are taking steps to lower their environmental damage and increase co-operation with others, strengthen international treaties and hold nations to their commitments on biodiversity and limiting climate change.
This probably sounds overwhelming, but “You don’t have to rebug alone”! You can join (or start) local organizations working on an issue you feel strongly about. The book contains a directory of some organizations (mostly in the UK). There is some help on starting lobbying, which most of us have not done before. The resources include guides on campaigning and influencing people. You can reduce your own carbon footprint and encourage others to do so. Big change is needed, but some days it’s restorative to “clean our own house” rather than go out lobbying.

[Owen Townend · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stimulating guide to living in harmony with insects. Contrary to popular belief, most crawling things (even the deadly ones) are essential to the environment. Rebugging the Planet is packed with facts demonstrating how the balance should work and suggestions of how to make sure that humanity doesn't taint it any more than it already has.

Hird wastes no time in making her case and shares the benefit of her knowledge, accrued over a varied ecological career. My favourite facts include the 2018 discovery of 'ballooning', wherein spiders manipulate atmospheric electricity to propel themselves higher than muscle power or wind would allow them. Also the Namib beetle has taught academics a new water-catching method based on the bug's 'fog-basking behaviour' near the Atlantic Ocean, involving the use of its exoskeleton to create a large surface area to collect moisture from fog.

Suffice to say, I was more drawn to the entomological details of this book. While I appreciate Hird's call for preservation of bugs to aid the environment, this vital knowledge didn't excite me quite as much as the marvellous minutiae of how these creatures live and evolve. Of course, without drastically reducing the use of pesticides in modern agriculture, these insects may not survive and continue to exemplify the beautiful problem-solving of natural selection.

Rebugging the Planet manages to both shine a spotlight on the likes of the humble earthworm and advise on influencing a change in the political and business standards that allow for species to go extinct. My one small complaint is with the formatting of this book, namely how often the main text is broken up by fact boxes. Though these often relate, it did distract and confuse my reading at times.

This aside, if you are keen to learn more about the astounding things that bugs have done for us, Rebugging the Planet is a book that is well worth picking up.

[Frederique · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a very important issue: the loss of biodiversity, especially the decline in insects and other bugs, and how we need to turn this around. The author knows a lot about all kind of insects and describes the unique features of many of them. She also describes possible solutions to 'rebug' both the planet and ourselves.
I liked the focus on bugs as this is a relatively unknown and unloved subject to many of us. However it is a lot of information and I'm not sure if people who do not already care a lot about biodiversity and nature will like to read it.

[Beanie Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! As someone who will whine about bugs it made me appreciate just how important they are. It’s perfectly pitched so that anyone can come away with something to do to help.

As someone who’s into sustainability I hadn’t truly appreciated the link with organic which is baffling given the amount I’ve read and researched.. and again it comes back to the fact that people don’t have care or appreciation for bugs. And that starts in childhood.

Highly recommend

[Hoan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fascinating information about bugs! I wish the resources listed include American organizations though I understand the author is from the UK. I really enjoyed learning more about the impact bugs have and how we can do more to bring back more sustainable life in Earth.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good set of basics for advocating for bugs and beasties, but somehow neither intellectual nor childish.

[Sayani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebugging the Planet
The Remarkable Things that Insects (and Other Invertebrates) Do — And Why We Need to Love Them More by Vicki Hird
Pages: 224 pages
Size: 5.5 x 8.5 inch
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Pub. Date: September 23, 2021
ISBN: 9781645020189
**Thank you Chelsea Green Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.**

Easily one of the best books with a call to action heart at its core for saving our invertebrate friends in a cohesive social and political manner. Vicki Hird has been campaigning, teaching, researching and guiding people regarding food, farming, and environmental issues for three decades. Her enthusiasm and love for insects right at the beginning of the book will make you pick up your trowel and work the soil in your home to reconnect with nature once again. The book’s powerful message is in the word “Rebugging” itself which resonates throughout the chapters.

Insect decline is real and documented. The data are present. The projections are bleak. The real challenge lies in creating a novel awareness among the human race about how important bugs are in our future survival. This book presents a “bug” manifesto, if I may, for every citizen of the planet to rebug their green spaces and avert an inevitable ecosystem collapse.

The author presents some classic examples of how the world would look without bugs. A world without pollinators is a world without food. If this sounds like an alarmist clarion call, it is. If you have seen the world raging with wildfires in the summer of 2021, it is because fires are visible ecological disasters. They devastate human properties in a matter of days and hence garner human attention and media coverage. Insects are tiny, creepy crawlies. Their size and structure make them unique and different. Insects don’t vote. They are not citizens. But they are the silent workers in the web of nature working away to pollinate plants, maintain a balance of mutualistic relationships, and maintain the food chain of an ecosystem. Their decline will create a ripple effect in nature which will go unnoticed until it is too late because of the very disconnect man has with his surroundings. This book calls for a change in our perspectives about the same creepy crawlies and elevates them to the status of citizens of nature.

Readers will find many interesting facts about various species of insects and how they can inspire us to be better global citizens. Be it social insects like termites and ants or spiders and their web engineering feats, there is so much to learn from bugs all around us. There is a little bit for everyone in here. School kids, biologists, gardeners, farmers, bug enthusiasts, engineers, architects, and even artificial intelligence and machine learning experts. The major part of the book presents examples of recreating the natural ecosystems as they were in their wild state. Organic farming, zero harmful chemicals, planting specific trees and shrubs to attract insects, introducing natural predatory insects to ward off pests, using natural remedies for pests in your gardens, leaving wildflowers as insect feed, composting and using worms for better soil health, and many more ways of rewilding and rebugging nature are presented throughout the book.

Hird doesn’t shy away from laying out the political and economical problems associated with the loss of biodiversity. She gives us an outline of how major corporations control directly or indirectly food industry, farming, and land occupation around the world. For someone going to the supermarket it might seem unnecessary to understand the economic ramifications of buying a shiny, unblemished, symetrical tomato but it is our pattern of consumerism that holds the powerful conglomerates together. Might just go to your local organic farmer to buy a cabbage and even if you find bugs in it embrace it as a sign of pesticide-free farming.
There are many useful links and tips to connect with local organizations for UK readers. Although readers from the rest of world have sufficient content to give rebugging a chance and make it a way of life.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Rebugging the Planet is a nonfiction call-to-action plan showing some of the effects of climate change on invertebrates, some of the functions they fulfill in the biosphere, why they're important, and how to make a difference. Due out 16th Sept 2021 from Chelsea Green Publishing, it's 224 pages and will be available in paperback format.

This is a hands-on practical book, logically arranged, full of tips for supporting and protecting habitat and populations of invertebrates by Vicki Hird. She methodically explores our attitudes, definitions (we can hardly appreciate "bugs" and inverts if we don't know what they are), and practical methods to pitch in and "do our bit" wherever we find ourselves, urban or rural.

Graphically, the book is mostly text, broken up by frequent highlighted text boxes with important points. The small pointillist drawings are well rendered and intricate. Although it's information rich and full of good and practical advice for rebugging habitat, it might be a bit dry for young readers. The book includes a good resource and links list for further reading and support. The lists are mostly slanted toward readers in the UK, but simple web searches will yield appropriate local groups and info.

The statistics are sobering. Climate change and habitat loss have already led to widespread changes; the loss of invertebrates directly correlates with crop failure and species decline. When the bugs disappear, the plants aren't pollinated, the species which depend on the inverts for food struggle, and the decline accelerates.

I grew up in an era of petrol-guzzling American supremacy monster cars. John Muir, Rachel Carson, and Margaret Murie (and others) dedicated their lives to making the public aware that we were on a path of destruction. The call to action they put out unfortunately went unheeded by most. Today we're literally teetering on the brink of a widespread extinction catastrophe and nobody can ignore it.The author does a good job of providing some creative solutions and tips for helping inverts to help us all.

This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, gardening groups, smallholders and hobbyists, community garden libraries and gardening groups, and anyone who wants to lend a hand to save us all from disaster. Teachers/facilitators will find many good activities here for helping younger children learn and appreciate native species.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Sprig! · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think books like these are invaluable in a culture that is so far removed from nature. We need all the uproar we can possibly create in order to secure the future of all the species on Earth, big and small. That said, I really can't recommend this book as any sort of educational text.

This book misconstrues already dubious sources in order to fearmonger, a tactic that is not very useful to the environmental justice movement. In the foreword, Burke claims that "we will have lost 80 per cent of all insects by 2050". That's terrifying! Head-turning! When I read this passage, I honestly felt hopeless. I wanted to know more about this statistic, so I consulted the source, which... hardly mentioned insects at all. The topic of the paper which the statistic came from was on marine life, a completely different group of animals. Not only that, but there was no evidence within this paper to support its incredible claims, and the author, Howard Dryden, appears to be regarded as disreputable in academic circles.

I understand that this is not necessarily a book for seasoned entomologists. It's a casual fact book, and I think it completes its goal of raising general public awareness of the importance of uncharismatic animals well. However, it is still educational material, and therefore the authors have a responsibility to present all information as truthfully as possible, especially when dealing with a topic as emotionally charged and variable as the current mass extinction. There really is no room for blowing up statistics in order to make them look scarier. All that does is paralyze people into inaction, because why even try when in 25 short years everything will be dead?

That said, this book really does give some fantastic planting recommendations, and the emphasis on teaching the next generations to love insects is great to see (the little ones are always overlooked!) It also warms my heart to read how genuinely the authors love all sorts of uncharismatic animals. It's honestly refreshing after explaining over and over again to people that wasps don't have a personal vendetta against humanity.

To conclude, I think this book currently has issues, but after some further proofreading and research, it could become a wonderful guide for new bug-lovers.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of people are creeped about by bugs, but they are essential to the health of our planet. For the purposes of this book, author Hird uses a broad biological definition of “bugs.” She is a great defender of bugs and their importance. They pollinate, serve as food, contribute to the global economy, and are fascinating and in some cases beautiful as well. In chapter 2, she writes, “The truth is that bugs are exquisite in their evolutionary design and they should be able to exist for their own sake, not just for the value they give us. But they should be revered for all the vital roles they do play in keeping our only and shared home inhabitable.”

She makes the case that people are profoundly affected by insect life. What happens to insect life is affecting human life as well. “Access to land, or influence over who manages that land, will be a key part of both rewilding and creating land uses that promote invertebrate health. Mismanagement of land, such as mining, deforestation, depletion of soils or toxic contamination, ultimately affects poorer people, including smaller farming communities, most as they are the most vulnerable.” “To help the bugs we clearly need to help ourselves, too,” she writes a few pages later. (chapter 7)

Hird lives in the United Kingdom, but most of what she says is just as applicable to people living in the United States. She has suggestions for what individuals can do, but she also acknowledges that this is a much bigger issue than can be resolved by individuals. We need to make global economic and political changes. Although this book is alarming in many ways, the author is optimistic that it is not too late to change things for the better, and she offers a vision of what a better future could look, smell, sound, and feel like in chapter 8. She also includes a list of organizations that support rebugging efforts.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about insects but it's not just about insects. It's a fantastically researched collection of all the things that are going wrong in the world that end up directly or indirectly impacting insects. If we all did all the things the author suggests, if our Governments, Politicians and big corporations all put our future survival ahead of their own pockets we could solve Climate Change, Biodiversity loss and Global inequality. What this book does really well is leave me with hope even though I'm a person that has none. I've given up. We're screwed, we're voting for the wrong people at the wrong time and we're living our lives in destructive ways and nobody gives a damn, but this book lays out how to change that.

I did nearly rate this book a disappointing 3 but changed my mind towards the end. What I didn't like, is the book is a bit 'bitty'. Too many sections within chapters, which breaks up the flow and I kept putting the book down and wishing it away but it did engage me more towards the end. I will say none of what has been said is new to me so it's pitched at people that currently don't know why they should care yet whereas I am a seasoned insect lover and have read most of the books that inspired the authors points. I also found the constant use of the word bug quite irritating, sure call the book rebugging but we can say insect within the book instead?

I sincerely hope our Tory Government pull their heads of their backsides and read this book before it's too late.

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting more of a science book, but this is an activist’s manual. That’s not a bad thing, I just wanted more about invertebrates and their behavior. There is a lot of that in here, but it’s not its main focus. The author begins with a scary introduction to how bugs (the term she uses to simplify insects, arachnids and even mollusks) are disappearing and what horrific effects that is already having on our world. She then explains how we can “rebug” our planet. I am that person who will walk around an ant and trap spiders and flies alive to release safely outside, so I’m doing great, right? Not so fast. At first it’s heartbreaking to read how, even the most innocent aspects of anyone’s behavior (like using cotton clothing) has devastating effects on bugs. We all know that pesticides are bad, but using natural fibers too? Before a reader can get too depressed, she offers helpful guidelines with little things you can do to help these little guys. Some chapters went a little too far for me, since I’m not planning to become a lobbyist, and those parts were drier. I did love the tidbits spread throughout the book about bug behavior. I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would, but I’m still glad I read it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Chelsea Green Publishing!

[Anna Marie Botterill · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Rebugging The Planet” was a interesting and very educational read. Everyone knows the decline in certain insects can affect the earth in multiple different way but I do not think many people understand the vast impact that this has to not only the earth but also to us as humans. Vicki, not only hits many keys points with this book but she also makes it to where anyone can read this book. When it comes to scientific books, I like when I am able to understand what is being said without having to have a masters degree in science.

When it came to talking about different types of bugs and the impact that they have, I was shocked to see that I do not know bugs that well. I think I would have known more of the bugs she was talking about but I didnt and that made me even more interested in the rest of the book. Learning how to help the earth and making sure I know all the key components is a big thing.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about how the earth can be helped.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invertebrates are abundant, sometimes they seem annoying or we feel phobia, however the vast majority are essential for the ecological health of the planet and support the life of plants and animals, including ours; economically and food production are vital partners that are worth their weight in sapphires.
Vicki Hird eloquently shares her passionate understanding and knowledge, invites us to reflect through culture, art, science, technological applications and engineering, therapeutic and medicinal, weaving engaging stories and fabulous ultramodern information, in ways that inspire, open our eyes to their beauty and causes us to relate in a more harmonious way as bugs do.
The author tells us about the projects to rewilding this fauna, such as National Parks and Reserves, agroecology, community gardens and Urban greening, B-Lines or insect superhighways, and explains numerous actions that we can carry out from home.
A reading that I have enjoyed a lot with my son, which has enriched and transformed the way I see insects. As an educator I highly recommend it.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this reminded me of the handful of online dates I went on almost ten years ago after getting dumped by someone I was crazy about. None of the people were so bad, exactly, but it was as if they were on mute, and all I could hear was my own depressed narration about how much I missed someone else. That period is a blur, really.

Likewise, this book is probably fine if you haven't already read Dave Goulson. But if you're considering reading a book about bugs, please, read Dave Goulson instead! He's much more direct and severe and specific - just what the crisis calls for. That said, any encounter with bug books can be fun an informative, and I learned from Vicki Hird about the 4,000 year old, Great Britain sized termite civilization in Brazil. More proof that social insects have a grip on how to hang in there than human civilizations do. I mean - it's a 4,000 year old termite city! That would be like if the Egyptian pharaohs were still doing their thing now. Crazy. #respect_termites

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebugging the Planet is a twist on rewilding with bugs (invertebrates) as the focus. Rather than adopting the rewilding principle of leaving nature to get on with healing itself, rebugging advocates reintroduction of bugs, wildlife habitat management for specific species and working with farmers and industry to encourage rebugging. The international cooperation and industry changing their money matters above all mantra is rather idealistic but hopefully achievable to some limited extent. Only when global companies change their outlook will the planet be truely rebugged.

Smaller scale rebugging in gardens, parks and nature reserves is achievable. Rebugging by bugging your local politician and global companies may begin to change the hope for invertebrates. Making insects amazing and fascinating on social media will also help to change the often negative opinions about these amazing creatures.

I live in hope of driving in the country and having to wash my windscreen on arrival due to the insect splatter I remember as a child. A sign that rebugging has worked.

[Slothski · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book of 2022 and it was both frightening and uplifting. I had watched @vickihird talk at #hayfestival2021 about her book and found it fascinating. The book was just as interesting and I was reassured to read that she disliked perfectly mowed lawns as much as I do. It was scary to read just how bad things are for bugs and not surprising that big corporations don't seem to even spare a thought for how they are impacting the numbers. But Hird gives lots of great advice on what you can do as an individual and how you can be a part of groups or organisations that are trying to change things. There are also various facts about different bugs throughout the book, ones I had never heard of, and these sections act as a reminder of just how ingenious and varied bugs are. It has definitely inspired me to ensure my garden is as bug friendly as possible and make more bug friendly food choices. I now have even more reasons to dislike supermarkets!

[jess mak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This year, one of my resolutions was to learn more about bugs. Here are the bug facts this book taught me:

The pacific beetle cockroach makes its own milk. This milk could be the superfood of the future (one of the most nutritious substances on earth) but no one has harnessed enough cockroach milk and the FDA is afraid of the potential of bug milk.

5G is cooking the bees.

The cockchafer beetle species (not kidding) was taken to court in France in 1320 for crop damage. It was judged guilty and ordered to leave the town or be outlawed. All cockchafers who refused to leave were collected and killed.

These are my three favorite facts. The rest of the book was pretty focused on the UK, so it wasn’t super helpful for me. Some good tips on gardening, some sad stats about how the bugs are dying. An average read. But look at those three facts!

[Ursula · Rating 4 out of 5]

We do not love bugs (in the way that pandas and monkeys appeal). And yet they hold up the pyramid of biodiversity, and need to be protected and valued.
Vicki Hird is an entomologist (bug expert), and advises on Sustainable Farming. She describes the many ways that these very small creatures contribute to better environments, and introduces many individual species. Insects are much threatened by urban environments and pesticides, but Vicki describes many ways that we can live together. Who knew all the many ways that buzzing, crawling, creeping insects improve our lives (and perform essential roles such as pollination).
Next time you see a spider in the house: don't scream. Rather think: great: the best and most natural way to limit clothes moths.
Well written, well researched, and a great 'eye-opener' into a world that most of us choose to ignore.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book about the importance of insects with tons of information including actionable information to get readers started debugging the planet. The author's passion for the entomology shines through as she discusses insects and their importance to the planet in plain English. She highlights how insect populations have plummeted and how these insects are important in everything from our waterways to our food crops and as a source of food for birds. The book is written from a UK perspective so some of the advice only applies there, however, the book is so well written that its overall message should be well received by any reader of English.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC of this book! The title drew me in right away, and I think it is an important topic that often gets overlooked when talking about Climate Change. The book not only includes details about why we need to rebut the planet, but it also gives specific details on how we can help on an individual level. The book has a UK focus, but would be useful to people anywhere in the world. I enjoyed the content of this book, but I wish it was more integrated into a narrative. I found all the boxes of text distracting. I would have also loved to see more details about specific bugs instead of the quick overviews in the boxes.

[Rix · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book feels like an incomplete look at the problem, that oscillates between scolding the reader for their presumed dislike of bugs and their inability to change the world at the drop of a hat and talking about the broader structural issues that are leading to insect decline. Space is given to discuss how to tackle these bigger issues but largely comes in the form of repeating platitudes about organisation without much steerage on how to make it work. Honestly, I think a baby's guide to climate action would have served the intentions of the author better. But there are some cool bug facts in here

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled with this book a lot because I love the concept of rebugging and the practical advice given in these pages is some of the most concrete action steps I have ever seen in a conservation book, which are so often very vague. However, I just found this book incredibly difficult to read. There were several confusing and distracting typos, not to mention the huge chunks of grey backed text that made the book hard to follow. I was never sure which thing I was supposed to be reading first, when sometimes both the standard text and the ‘supplemental’ grey boxes both continued on to the next page, leaving me flipping back and forth and unable to keep track of things.

[Samantha Horn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad this book exists, but it became clear pretty quickly that I'm not its target audience. This is a surface-level introduction to environmentalism through the lens of invertebrate conservation. It would be a decent primer for people who are just starting to explore ideas like pollinator gardening and environmental justice. I could imagine a class of high schoolers or college freshmen using this as a jumping-off point for some really cool projects!

But for someone who already knows the basics, is involved in environmental orgs, and is looking for more in-depth info about the wonders of insects and how to protect them in my own garden... This book ain't it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC

Following my recent passion for my garden I was excited to read this book and learn how I can help rebug the planet. And I was not disappointed, this is an excellent book about the importance of insects and all the work they do. I personally didn’t realise how important insects are in everything from our waterways, food crops to being a source of food to birds. This book was really informative and made me look at how I can help insects in my garden.

I really enjoyed this book and learning more about different insects species.