Pollinators who they are, why they are in trouble, why it matters, and how you can help

by Eoin Carroll

Birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, small mammals, and most importantly, bees are pollinators. They visit flowers to drink nectar or feed off of pollen and transport pollen grains as they move from spot to spot.

Pollinator populations are facing multiple threats and are experiencing massive declines worldwide. The major threats are habitat degradation and fragmentation, pollution, pesticides, pests, pathogens, and climate change.  Insect pollinators have been affected the most.

Pollinators are important because between 75 and 95% of flowering plants require pollination. This includes around 1200 food crops.  It is estimated that one out of every three bites of food comes from plants that depend on pollination.

The good news is that there are ways you can help.  Two really good ways are to plant for pollinators and to reduce or eliminate pesticides.

Habitat opportunities abound on every landscape, every site can provide some habitat.  Here at the UUCWV we will be planting a pollinator garden this Spring.  Even though it is just a small piece of our property it can still have an impact.

Pollinators rely on certain flower species for nectar and host sites. Native plants, or plants that have historically been a part of the natural environment of a region, provide the most benefit to pollinators. The introduction and expansion of non-native plants, or plants that have not historically been part of a region, impact the abundance of native plants required by pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds to forage and reproduce. Non-native plants such as cultivar and hybrid plant species are, in most cases, not good for pollinators as they can result in double flowers, changes in flower color, and sterile flowers with no pollen. Furthermore, the expansion of grass lawns reduces plant species richness and the overall biodiversity of developed areas.

Home use of herbicides and insecticides may inadvertently remove important plants required for pollinators to survive. Habitat alteration or reduction may impair a pollinator’s ability to navigate and reproduce. Reduced immune response in bees is also associated with pesticide use.

You can find more information on native plants that would be suitable for your home at Homegrown National Park and the Pollinator Partnership.  A web search will take you to these organizations that have lots of information to help you learn about how you can help.