5 Things You Can Do to Help Save Pollinators

Pollinators are essential to healthy ecosystems and for the production of many of the foods that we eat. Unfortunately pollinators across the world are rapidly declining due to climate change and human impact. Fortunately there are actions that we can take in our own landscapes that can help reduce the decline of our local pollinators.

In honor of the 2023 National Pollinator Week (June 19th- June 25th) I am going to list 5 simple ways that you can help save your local pollinators. But first let me explain what a pollinator is and why we need them.

What is a pollinator?

A pollinator is defined as any animal or insect that helps transport pollen from one flower to another, also know as pollination. Pollination results in the production of fruits and seeds which therefore ensures the next generation of plants.

For many people, honeybees come to mind when they hear the word pollinator but there are actually so many other amazing animals and insects that take on the pollinator role including certain birds and bats as well as many different species of insects such as butterflies, native bees, ladybugs, and flies.

Many plants have adapted to attracting specific species of pollinators that they have co-evolved with in their native ecosystems and because of this relationship they rely solely on a certain species for pollination. The same goes for the pollinator, depending on the type of relationship, the pollinator may rely on the same plant for it’s own survival. This is one of the many reasons why planting native plants is important for the survival of our native pollinators.

Many flies take on the pollinator role.

why are they so important?

Now that you are familiar with what a pollinator is, you may be wondering why we should care about them so much?

As I mentioned previously, plants need to be pollinated in order to create the next generation of plants. This is not only important for biodiversity and healthy ecosystems but we as humans rely on them for our very existence. Scientists estimate that 75% of the planet’s flowering plants and 35% of our food crops rely solely on pollinators for pollination. Without pollinators we wouldn’t have 35% of the fruits and vegetables that we eat.

Not only do we rely on pollinators for much of our food crops but plants provide many other essential ecosystem services that are vital to healthy ecosystems including cleaning our air and water, storing carbon and preventing soil erosion. Without plants most of the life on earth would cease to exist and without pollinators we don’t have plants.

These are among the many reasons why we need to help prevent the decline of our pollinators before it’s too late. There are many actions that we can take right in our own backyards, no matter how big or small, that can help our local pollinators. Below are 5 simple actions that you can take that will benefit the pollinators in your area.

5 simple ways you can help save pollinators

1. Plant native & pollinator- friendly plants

One of the most important things that you can do to help your local pollinators is to plant pollinator friendly plants, especially plants that are native to your local ecosystems. While many flowering plants like salvias, zinnias, African blue basil, hyssop, and sunflowers make great pollinator-friendly plants nothing tops the benefits of planting native plants in your landscape. You can learn more about the importance of native plants in one of my other blog posts, What Are Native Plants and Why Are They So Important?

Whether you live in apartment with a small balcony or have acres of space to garden, you can plant pollinator plants no matter how big your space may be. Containers are a great way to add flowers and butterfly host plants to your small balcony or patio!

Make sure to also plant as much of a variety of different plants as possible, more plants equally more biodiversity in our landscapes and that’s the key to a healthy, balanced ecosystem.

A native bee on a native Rudbeckia Hirta

2. Avoid pesticides

Another very important action that you can take to help protect pollinators is to avoid the use of any pesticide, even organic options. Most pesticides are not specific to they types of insects that they target and organic options, such as neem oil, when not used properly kill many beneficial insects. It’s best to avoid them whenever possible. An ecosystem that is insect free is an ecosystem that is out of balance. There are many natural ways to manage the pests in your landscape and one of the best ways to do that is to have a healthy balance of both beneficial insects and what we consider pests. If you don’t have the pests then you won’t have the beneficial insects that eat them.

Other natural ways to manage pests is to use companion plants to deter pests from the plants you don’t want them on, plant extra crops and plant a variety of different plants while avoiding monocrops. Attracting more birds to your yard is another great way to manage pests in your landscape.

Pictured here is a Milkweed bug, while they do feed on milkweed plants, they rarely cause any harm to the plant and do not harm Monarch’s or their caterpillars.

3. Provide habitat

There are many ways to provide habitat for your local pollinators. This includes providing bee houses, leaving logs and sticks in your yard, having a spot of bare ground, planting butterfly host plants, and waiting until spring to trim back your dead plants.

Native ground nesting bees need bare ground in order to build their nests while other pollinators use logs and hollow stems of dead herbaceous plants like sunflowers to nest and hibernate in. You can still make your yard look neat by having a designated “wild” space in the back corner of your landscape where you can have logs and brush piles that provide valuable habitat and shelter. If you have a small space then an aesthetically pleasing bee house may be a good option for you.

Planting butterfly host plants is another thing you can do to ensure that butterflies have a place to lay their eggs. Each species of butterfly has specific plants that their caterpillars can eat called host plants, for example, Monarch caterpillars can only eat milkweed and no other type of plant. By planting the correct host plants for the species of butterflies in your region you will not only provide a place for butterflies to lay eggs, ensuring the next generation of butterflies, but you will also give incentive for those butterflies to stay in your yard.

Black Swallowtail caterpillars on a Dill plant, one of their few host plants in the carrot family.

4. Leave the leaves

During the fall and winter, try to resist the urge to rake your leaves. Dead leaves provide valuable habitat and food for for various pollinators while also giving them protection throughout the winter. Many types of butterfly and moth species will make their cocoons or chrysalis in leaf litter and hibernate until warmer weather arrives. Native bees will also use leaf litter to protect themselves from the elements in the winter as well.

Leaving the leaves doesn’t have to be messy, fallen leaves make a great mulch and when broken down create nutrients for your plants. Use leaves as mulch around your trees and in your flower beds. Not only does this feed and insulate your plants but it’s a free, sustainable source of mulch!

5. Provide a water source

Finally, providing a source of water is a great way to help out thirsty pollinators, especially bees. Provide a shallow dish of water and place semi-submerged stones or marbles in the bottom to keep them from drowning. Shallow bird baths or plant saucers make great options for providing water.

Butterflies drink water a little differently than bees. Many species of butterflies will get their water source from muddy soil or rotting fruit and manure which not only provides them with water but the necessary minerals that they need as well. A few other ways that you can provide a water source for butterflies is to create a “puddling dish” or have a fruit feeder set up with over-ripe, fermenting fruit. A puddling dish can be created by simply filling a shallow dish with sand, compost or garden soil and water to create muddy soil. You could also create a natural pond source with a muddy bank if you really wanted to get creative!

A Bumble Bee resting on a Penta.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it, 5 ways you can help prevent the decline of the pollinators in your local region! I hope this post inspires you try some of these tips to make your space a little more pollinator-friendly.

If you found this information valuable please share the love by sharing or pinning this post! Also, feel free to leave any questions in the comments below! Happy planting!

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