Insects at the supermarket are not necessarily cause for concern

German retail giant Lidl has added an interesting extra facility at the store it is constructing in the city of Cēsis – an insect house.  

"Although the store is still under construction, the insect house is already starting to welcome its residents before winter sets in. The work of setting up the first insect house was exclusively entrusted to the students of the Pastariņa primary school," said the company.

The insect house was arranged under the leadership of Latvian entomologist Voldemārs Spuņgis.

"There are around 14,000 species of insects in Latvia, of which around 3,000 are pollinators. They provide 80% pollination of food plants. Species diversity is drastically reduced in urban environments. Insects, especially bees, need to help and create an additional living environment for them – insect houses that can serve as a safe haven while they collect nectar and pollen, for example from nearby meadows and apple orchards. In this way, we can increase biological diversity in Cesis. This winter, it is true that the little ladybugs will hibernate there, but already in the spring there will be an even greater diversity of insects,'' said Spuņgis of the project.

The opening event of the insect house took place with theactive participation of school pupils  making log wells, preparing reed bundles and other elements of bug habitat. When the work was finished, the children witnessed that a potential resident – a wasp – flew in for a viewing of the real estate opportunity.

Insect house at Lidl supermarket in Cēsis
Insect house at Lidl supermarket in Cēsis

“The insect house will be able to become a place where our students can learn new knowledge about nature, as well as understand why the ecosystem is important. In addition, we are determined to create informative materials for students and we hope that this initiative will help take a step towards a sustainable future where people and nature live in harmony," said Pastariņa primary school director Ravita Blaževica.

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