Are Bees the only Pollinators? So many others...

With real evidence of bee population loss in the last few years, the term ‘pollinator’ might be on a gardener’s mind right now.  But what about other pollinators? Can you encourage other beneficial insects to your landscape and do they have any other benefits?  Do they all sting? 

In the chart below, we can find some common plant pollinators who you may not have thought of as beneficial, but all have something to give to your garden.  

Let’s start with one of the hardest to accept, the European Paper Wasp. Not to be confused with most yellowjackets!

Difficult as it may be to have around because they do sting, not only are they pollinators, but they also feed on soft bodied, leaf-eating pests - caterpillars, aphids. 

European paper wasps are relatively non-aggressive, and somewhat less likely to sting than yellowjackets. Stings occur almost exclusively when ness are accidently disturbed.

The Hoverfly is a pollinator in disguise.
 They have evolved to look like bees, mainly to ward off predators. Lucky for us these little flies are harmless, unless you’re an aphid. Once the adult Hoverfly has selected the best aphid colony in your garden to lay its eggs beside, soon those eggs develop into aphid-eating maggots. 

Butterflies and Moths are also good pollinators because of the large amount of pollen that collects on their feet and legs. Some special characteristics that set them apart from bees are not only do they taste with their feet, but they can also see the color red. 

Moths are also part of the night pollinating crew.

Less known but just as important as pollinators are bats, birds, mice, and other vertebrates. 

Psst...they also eat their weight in bad bugs!

With these factors in mind, you might want to try to attract these pollinators to your yard and garden by planting a wide variety of plants that bloom from early spring until late fall. Plant is clumps with native plants and don't forget night-blooming plants. You could also install a bee hotel for native bees and mason bees.

You may be able to do less pest control and more relaxing while these and other beneficial pollinators do the work for you. 
Follow us on Facebook during Pollinator Week June 16-22!

Are Bees the Only Pollinators?

With real evidence of bee population loss in the last few years, the term ‘pollinator’ might be on a gardener’s mind right now.  But what about other pollinators? Can you encourage other beneficial insects to your landscape and do they have any other benefits?  Do they all sting? 

In the chart below, we can find some common plant pollinators who you may not have thought of as beneficial, but all have something to give to your garden.  

European Paper Wasp

Let’s start with one of the hardest to accept, the European Paper Wasp. Difficult as it may be to have around because they do sting, not only are they pollinators, but they also feed on soft bodied, leaf-eating pests - caterpillars, aphids.

The Hoverfly is a pollinator in disguise.  They have evolved to look like bees, mainly to ward off predators. Lucky for us these little flies are harmless, unless you’re an aphid. Once the adult Hoverfly has selected the best aphid colony in your garden to lay its eggs beside, soon those eggs develop into aphid-eating maggots. 

Butterflies and Moths are also good pollinators because of the large amount of pollen that collects on their feet and legs. Some special characteristics that set them apart from bees are not only do they taste with their feet, but they can also see the color red.

Less known but just as important as pollinators are bats, birds, mice, and other vertebrates. 
Psst...they also eat their weight in bad bugs!

With these factors in mind, you might want to try to attract these pollinators to your yard and garden by planting a wide variety of plants that bloom from early spring until late fall. Plant is clumps with native plants and don't forget night-blooming plants. You could also install a bee hotel for native bees and mason bees.

You may be able to do less pest control and more relaxing while these and other beneficial pollinators do the work for you. 
Follow us on Facebook during Pollinator Week June 18-23!

The City Bee and the Country Bee

Many of us have become concerned with the recent decline of the honey bee, and there are many reasons for the decline.  Ohio State University too was concerned and set out to study bees in a way much unlike many others.  They wanted to see what the bee themselves preferred in lifestyle and pollen and if it affected their livelihood? What they learned can help us as home gardeners to plant better and help them out!  They placed the bees on the line between the city and the farmlands and set to tracking them, it turned out the bees much preferred the country life.  Why you ask? 

Bees like flowers, and lots of them. They don't care if they are all the same, they are fairly mundane in their choices, but they like a lot of bang for their buck.  So weeds ranked number one with them!  In the country they grow in abundance by the roads and between the fields and they could fill their little legs in no time and head home.  Pesticides long seen as a country problem really didn't bother them as much as one would think because they aren't really all that interested in the fields themselves, just the flowers in between.  So how can we as urban gardeners help them out?  We surely don't want a garden of weeds, but we can grow gardens that are a bit more like prairies.  When purchasing your flowers look for the pollinator friendly ones and plant bunches, and in your vegetable gardens throw a few extra flowers in, not only will that increase the bees visiting your garden but it should help its productivity as well too!  Turns out they love Linden trees?  Maybe you have room for one?  So just remember, bees like quantity, so the more the merrier.  Happy planting and if you want to read the study yourself, it’s really interesting!  You can find it at https://news.osu.edu/news/2017/03/14/bees-and-farms/

Pollinators By Alison Ogata

Due to the vast decline in pollinators worldwide, it is imperative that we as humans make a concerted effort to protect and encourage pollinators. Pollinators not only include the 20,000 species of bees, but butterflies, moths, wasps, beetles, and bats. These pollinators are crucial to the growth of fruit, vegetables and many nuts, as well as flowering plants.

There are intermingling reasons for the population decline of pollinators. Farming with pesticides exposes the pollinators, as well as parasites and pathogens. It is also important to leave some land for wildflowers and cover crops that feed the pollinators. Additionally, climate change changes the territories of plants and pollinators.

To encourage pollinators in home landscapes, planting a variety of plants and flowers desirable to them is necessary. In my garden, I am replacing an old garden bed with a “banquet” of pollinator favorites. These will include: Liatris (Blazing Star and Gayfeather), Echinacea (purple cone flower), Salvia (Garden Sage, Brazilian Blue Sage, common sage). Coreopsis (tickseed), Phlox caespitosa (phlox), Agastache (Butterfly weed, Bee Balm, Hyssop, Hummingbird Mint) and a Buddleia (Butterfly Bush).

Our pollinators promote the growth of the food supply in the world. Without them and recognizing their importance, the pollinators face extinction. It is of absolute importance and necessity to address and educate ourselves in the protection and encouragement of pollinators

*Pictures of all flowers listed above are at: www.perennialresource.com