Bengaluru, Nearly 99 per cent of educated people know nothing about the complex and interdependent world of insects. Entomologist G K Ramegowda said, in their ignorance they consider them only insects.
"But they're actually very important to the natural balance of our world, yes, even the dangerous house fly that we can't wait to crush to death. They're really good decomposers and ideally they It should be the best friend of farmers,” says Sai Ramegowda, who is teaching agricultural entomology at the College of Horticulture Yalachalli Horticulture Farm in Mysuru, a constituent college under the University of Horticultural Sciences, headquartered at Bagalkot and covering 22 districts. Is spread around inAbout six months ago, to draw attention to the world of insects, David Kuma Anthonappa, director of the Bengaluru-based Various India Foundation, wanted to build 1,000, what he calls insect cafes, but market it globally as insect hotels or motels. Also known as. These are structures mostly made of wood and clay, but will vary according to the region chosen to build them. Ideally, it is planted near water bodies or untouched areas in parks and gardens.
“I managed to plant some in the Lalbagh Botanical Garden, with the help of the authorities there and another NGO, Bhoomi. We also did some Dodasagare Botanical Garden in Tumakuru.But if we wanted to grow it to 1,000, we needed help. It costs around Rs 50,000 to 60,000 to make it. So, reached out to corporate sponsors,” Anthonappa said.
To honor this Earth Day, EY Global Delivery Services (GDS) has committed itself to building and maintaining approximately 25 of these insect cafes as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. “We're on to that Wanted to draw attention to something that was not discussed as much as it should have been.When David of Vividha India Foundation proposed this direct intervention to address the declining diversity of the insect world, we decided to go for it,” said Rumi Malik Mitra, director of corporate responsibility at EY GDS.
The EY GDS team will maintain seven other insect cafes at Doddasagar Botanica Garden, eight at Lal Bagh and eight at Cubbon Park, which will be highlighted at an event on June 5, Mitra said.
Building nesting structures for insects is not a new thing in Bengaluru. Before Anthonappa's café, the forest department had set up a small hotel in Bannerghatta Biological Park in 2021, calling it an insect hotel – possibly the first in Bengaluru. According to news reports, they can also be found in Turahalli Tree Park and Kadugodi Tree Park, replanted by forest department officials.These cafes or hotels are a small step towards insect conservation promotion and promotion, Ramegowda said.
“If you look at the total species in the world, about 40% to 50% will consist of insect species. But intensive cultivation of the land has destroyed many of them and it is important that we bring them back because each one has a role to play in the bigger scheme,” Ramegowda said.
Ramegowda said that human interference has completely disturbed the balance maintained by nature. “The life cycle of insects used to be just one season.But then people wanted to eat fresh things even in off-season and started manipulating the natural cycle. So along with mangoes throughout the year, we also have to deal with pests throughout the year,'' he said. Although the idea is to attract predatory insects to the insect café, which will eat the pests and keep things in balance, no one knows That's what these cafes will attract, Ramegowda said.
For example, the cafes in Lalbagh have attracted a lot of pests. This was also to be expected. I think the real deal will happen only after the rains.Perhaps then predatory insects will increase. I hope these will attract stingless bees. Even in beetles, especially in the vicinity of beetles, which have chemical signals that attract certain species of insects, we can expect an increase in biodiversity as well as its density. Are,” Ramegowda said.
Experts said that another important role of these insect cafes is to create awareness among the people. Mitra said that this is the reason why he got himself involved in it.“We are afraid of insects. We need to know that they are not bad guys, that they are pollinators and that their existence, or lack thereof, will affect the food chain, Mitra said.
Anthonappa said the insect cafes will serve as centers of attraction in urban gardens, engaging the general public, especially children, giving them an opportunity to learn first-hand about the role and necessity of insects in the ecosystem.
However, it is still a long way off. In Lalbagh, it took about 30 minutes for this article to locate an insect café, despite its general whereabouts being reported.Leave aside the public, even the gardeners and guards working there had no idea. Perhaps, this is for the best. Without any disturbance and lured by rain-rich jaggery and cow dung, it won't take long for insect species to get on top - beetles and bees, the so-called predators, will start crawling into the cracks of the wood, Ramegowda said, adding that Particula Ecology Restoring natural balance in the system.
"But they're actually very important to the natural balance of our world, yes, even the dangerous house fly that we can't wait to crush to death. They're really good decomposers and ideally they It should be the best friend of farmers,” says Sai Ramegowda, who is teaching agricultural entomology at the College of Horticulture Yalachalli Horticulture Farm in Mysuru, a constituent college under the University of Horticultural Sciences, headquartered at Bagalkot and covering 22 districts. Is spread around inAbout six months ago, to draw attention to the world of insects, David Kuma Anthonappa, director of the Bengaluru-based Various India Foundation, wanted to build 1,000, what he calls insect cafes, but market it globally as insect hotels or motels. Also known as. These are structures mostly made of wood and clay, but will vary according to the region chosen to build them. Ideally, it is planted near water bodies or untouched areas in parks and gardens.
“I managed to plant some in the Lalbagh Botanical Garden, with the help of the authorities there and another NGO, Bhoomi. We also did some Dodasagare Botanical Garden in Tumakuru.But if we wanted to grow it to 1,000, we needed help. It costs around Rs 50,000 to 60,000 to make it. So, reached out to corporate sponsors,” Anthonappa said.
To honor this Earth Day, EY Global Delivery Services (GDS) has committed itself to building and maintaining approximately 25 of these insect cafes as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. “We're on to that Wanted to draw attention to something that was not discussed as much as it should have been.When David of Vividha India Foundation proposed this direct intervention to address the declining diversity of the insect world, we decided to go for it,” said Rumi Malik Mitra, director of corporate responsibility at EY GDS.
The EY GDS team will maintain seven other insect cafes at Doddasagar Botanica Garden, eight at Lal Bagh and eight at Cubbon Park, which will be highlighted at an event on June 5, Mitra said.
Building nesting structures for insects is not a new thing in Bengaluru. Before Anthonappa's café, the forest department had set up a small hotel in Bannerghatta Biological Park in 2021, calling it an insect hotel – possibly the first in Bengaluru. According to news reports, they can also be found in Turahalli Tree Park and Kadugodi Tree Park, replanted by forest department officials.These cafes or hotels are a small step towards insect conservation promotion and promotion, Ramegowda said.
“If you look at the total species in the world, about 40% to 50% will consist of insect species. But intensive cultivation of the land has destroyed many of them and it is important that we bring them back because each one has a role to play in the bigger scheme,” Ramegowda said.
Ramegowda said that human interference has completely disturbed the balance maintained by nature. “The life cycle of insects used to be just one season.But then people wanted to eat fresh things even in off-season and started manipulating the natural cycle. So along with mangoes throughout the year, we also have to deal with pests throughout the year,'' he said. Although the idea is to attract predatory insects to the insect café, which will eat the pests and keep things in balance, no one knows That's what these cafes will attract, Ramegowda said.
For example, the cafes in Lalbagh have attracted a lot of pests. This was also to be expected. I think the real deal will happen only after the rains.Perhaps then predatory insects will increase. I hope these will attract stingless bees. Even in beetles, especially in the vicinity of beetles, which have chemical signals that attract certain species of insects, we can expect an increase in biodiversity as well as its density. Are,” Ramegowda said.
Experts said that another important role of these insect cafes is to create awareness among the people. Mitra said that this is the reason why he got himself involved in it.“We are afraid of insects. We need to know that they are not bad guys, that they are pollinators and that their existence, or lack thereof, will affect the food chain, Mitra said.
Anthonappa said the insect cafes will serve as centers of attraction in urban gardens, engaging the general public, especially children, giving them an opportunity to learn first-hand about the role and necessity of insects in the ecosystem.
However, it is still a long way off. In Lalbagh, it took about 30 minutes for this article to locate an insect café, despite its general whereabouts being reported.Leave aside the public, even the gardeners and guards working there had no idea. Perhaps, this is for the best. Without any disturbance and lured by rain-rich jaggery and cow dung, it won't take long for insect species to get on top - beetles and bees, the so-called predators, will start crawling into the cracks of the wood, Ramegowda said, adding that Particula Ecology Restoring natural balance in the system.
