| A 5-Part Series |
| A curated exploration of Europe’s most iconic, curious, and ecologically important insects |
| Part One Ants, Bees & Wasps: Systems Built Over Time Spend enough time working in gardens, and you begin to notice that some of the most important activity is happening where nobody is looking. The obvious parts of a landscape draw our attention first. A flowering border, a mature oak, a newly planted hedge, or perhaps a lawn that has finally recovered after a difficult winter. Yet beneath these visible features lies another world altogether, one built not in seasons but over years, decades and sometimes generations. Ants, bees and wasps are among the great organisers of Europe’s insect life. They are not the largest insects, nor the most colourful, but they are among the most influential. Their success comes not from strength or speed, but from systems. Each operates within structures refined over millions of years, quietly shaping the landscapes around them. Europe is an unusual place to observe these relationships. Unlike many wilderness regions elsewhere in the world, much of Europe has been altered by human hands for thousands of years. Forests have been felled and replanted. Meadows have been grazed, abandoned and reclaimed. Hedgerows have appeared, disappeared, and returned. Entire landscapes have been repeatedly redesigned. Yet through all this change, these insects have remained. Not because they resist change, but because they have become part of it. |
| The Architects Beneath Our Feet Most gardeners encounter ants almost daily, though they rarely give them much thought. A small mound appears between paving slabs. A line of workers crosses a path. Soil gathers around the base of a plant pot. They are so common that it is easy to overlook just how remarkable they are. Beneath the surface, many ant colonies operate extensive networks of tunnels, chambers and storage areas. Some colonies persist for decades, quietly expanding and adapting as conditions above them change. While lawns are reseeded, borders redesigned, and trees removed, the colony simply adjusts. I often think ants represent something many modern landscapes have lost — continuity. Gardens today can be surprisingly temporary places. Trends change. Plant fashions come and go. Entire designs are replaced within a few years. Ant colonies operate on entirely different timescales. They are concerned not with this or next season, but with long-term survival. In doing so, they provide unexpected benefits. Their tunnelling improves soil aeration. Water penetrates more effectively. Organic material is redistributed underground. Seeds are moved. Small fragments of plant and animal matter are recycled and broken down. Many gardeners assume ants are damaging soil because they disturb it. In reality, the opposite is often true. Healthy ant activity is usually a sign that the ground remains biologically active. That does not mean they are always convenient. Ant nests beneath paving can create uneven surfaces, and some species will protect aphids in exchange for sugary secretions. Like most wildlife, they are neither wholly beneficial nor harmful. They are simply performing their role. Wood Ants and Woodland Engineers In Europe’s forests, ants become even more significant. Wood ants build large dome-shaped nests from needles, twigs and plant debris. Some of these structures become impressive features in their own right, rising prominently from the forest floor. At first glance, they appear untidy. Look closer, and they reveal extraordinary engineering. The mound regulates temperature and moisture, allowing the colony to maintain stable conditions despite fluctuating weather. The nest effectively becomes a living structure, continually modified and maintained by thousands of workers. Around these colonies, woodland ecosystems subtly reorganise themselves. Wood ants are active predators, hunting caterpillars, beetles and other invertebrates. They help regulate populations that might otherwise expand dramatically. Their movement across the woodland floor redistributes nutrients and influences countless smaller organisms. The relationship is rarely obvious. Nobody walks through a forest and thinks, “This woodland functions because of ants.” Yet remove them, and many processes begin to change. Nature often depends on organisms we barely notice. The Quiet Majority of Europe’s Bees When people think of bees, they usually think of honeybees. That is understandable. Honeybees have accompanied European civilisation for centuries. They appear in folklore, religion, agriculture and art. Beekeeping itself stretches back through generations of rural life. Yet honeybees represent only a small part of Europe’s bee diversity. The majority of bee species are solitary. Many gardeners are surprised to learn this. The popular image of a bee colony buzzing inside a hive has become so familiar that it obscures a far more varied reality. Across Europe, solitary bees nest in soil, hollow stems, dead wood, cracks in walls and old masonry. Some species may spend much of their lives unnoticed, just a few metres from where people walk every day. Unlike honeybees, they do not build large colonies. Each female constructs and provisions her own nest. Their lives are modest, local and remarkably efficient. A solitary bee may never travel far from where it emerged, yet collectively these species provide an enormous amount of pollination. Fruit trees, wildflowers, herbs and countless garden plants benefit from their activity. One myth that deserves challenging is the idea that pollination depends primarily on honeybees. Honeybees are certainly important, but healthy pollination systems depend on diversity. Different bee species are active at different times, prefer different flowers and function under different weather conditions. A landscape supported by many pollinators is often far more resilient than one dominated by a single species. From a gardener’s perspective, this changes how we think about habitat. A bee hotel may be helpful, but so is a patch of bare soil, a hollow stem left standing through winter or an old wall with crevices untouched by excessive tidiness. Sometimes conservation involves doing slightly less. Wasps and Their Unfair Reputation Few insects suffer from a public relations problem quite like wasps. Most people encounter them during late summer when numbers are highest, and natural food sources begin to decline. At precisely the moment human outdoor activity increases, wasps become more noticeable. This timing has done little for their reputation. Yet for much of the year, wasps are among the most effective pest controllers in Europe. Social wasp colonies require protein to feed developing larvae. To obtain it, workers hunt relentlessly. Caterpillars, aphids, flies and countless other insects are collected and carried back to the nest. A single colony may remove thousands of potential garden pests in a single season. Gardeners often celebrate ladybirds for consuming aphids while overlooking the role wasps play in regulating insect populations on a much larger scale. The irony is that many of the insects we dislike are controlled by another insect we dislike even more. Nature rarely conforms to our preferences. Wasps also contribute to pollination, though this tends to receive less attention than their predatory role. Moving between flowers, they transport pollen and support plant reproduction, often unnoticed. Their importance becomes easier to appreciate when viewed as part of a broader system rather than through the lens of a picnic table in August. Landscapes Built Through Time What connects ants, bees, and wasps is not simply their biology. It is their relationship with time. European landscapes are layered places. Ancient woodlands stand beside modern roads. Medieval field boundaries still shape farming patterns. Hedgerows planted centuries ago continue to guide wildlife movement today. These insects have adapted to that complexity. Ant colonies persist beneath changing landscapes. Solitary bees exploit opportunities created by old walls, traditional meadows and forgotten corners. Wasps regulate populations within ecosystems that have been evolving alongside human activity for generations. Together, they remind us that resilience is rarely built quickly. Whether in nature, gardening or life itself, the strongest systems are often those that develop gradually, adapt continuously and remain connected to what came before. The insects beneath our feet demonstrate this every day. Most of the time, we simply fail to notice. |
| About our writing & imagery Most articles reflect our real gardening experience and reflection. Some use AI in drafting or research, but never for voice or authority. Featured images may show our photos, original AI-generated visuals, or, where stated, credited images shared by others. All content is shaped and edited by Earthly Comforts, expressing our own views. |
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Great post. I truly enjoyed reading it.
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You’re welcome.
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