June is National Pollinators Month. And we need these hard-working critters if we want to keep eating!
Insect pollinators include bees, (honey bees, solitary species, bumblebees);
pollen wasps (Masarinae); ants; flies including bee flies, hoverflies, blowflies and mosquitoes; lepidopterans, both butterflies and moths;
and flower beetles. Vertebrates, mainly bats and birds,
but also some non-bat mammals (monkeys, lemurs, possums, rodents) and some lizards pollinate certain plants. Among the pollinating birds are hummingbirds,
honeyeaters and sunbirds with long beaks; they pollinate a number of deep-throated flowers.
So how can we help them survive a changing world?
reduce pesticide use.
exposure to even low levels of pesticides can disorient and weaken bees. Be sure to get any bedding plants from stores that do NOT treat them with neonicotinoids, preferably organic nurseries. Or grow your own from untreated seed.
Provide variety
Insects need many different nutrients, just like we do. Both nectar and pollen from a variety of sources make for stronger pollinator colonies. Try to leave a section of your property wild, for habitat.
At the end of the growing season, leave some leaf litter and standing grasses, even pieces of wood for pollinators to nest in during the winter. Many pollinators nest on the ground and too tidy a lawn leaves them with few places to live and breed.
You want to provide a diverse landscape for pollinators to nest in. Tall grasses, flowering trees, sandy patches, all of these play a role in pollinator preservation, not just planting flowers.
Plant a pollinator garden
There are seed mixes sold expressly for this purpose, adapted to your local area.
Native plants are the best. But even the humble dandelion serves an important function, as an early source of pollen for the bees to feed their young. Autumn flowering plants are important too. Try to select a mix that will provide food throughout the growing season. Flowering trees such as hawthorn, apple, cherry, and dogwood (my bees adore the little Japanese maple in the spring!); bushes like ceanothus, lilac, butterfly bush, barberry, blueberry, currant, hydrangea, blackthorn, blackberries and raspberries; herbs and flowers like lavender, sage, mint, thyme, oregano, speedwell, yarrow, catmint, milkweed, hyssop, goldenrod, oriental poppy, coneflowers, sunflowers, aster, liatris, beebalm, and even stonecrop. As you can see, providing edibles for yourself and pollinators can be a win-win choice. Seek out online lists for your area.
Provide water
very shallow puddles with rocks to perch on are best for thirsty bees and butterflies. Your birdbath can do double duty.
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