Honeybees aren’t the only pollinators on the block

After being taken for granted for decades, pollinators are in the spotlight due in large part because of dramatic declines in honeybees and monarch butterflies.

Honeybees were brought to North America shortly after settlement in the 1600s. Obviously pollination took place before these fascinating immigrants arrived. Monarchs are native and have been pollinating North American flowers for thousands of years.

As fascinating and important as these two species are, they're far from the only pollinators. At least 150 other insects pollinate wild and domestic plants. Many live in tall grassy and flowery areas, while others live in decaying wood or even in tunnels dug in bare ground.

Weedy brushy fencerows separating fields and road ditches are outstanding pollinator habitat but in rural areas they're being cut and mowed to oblivion. Managing yards and parks as lawn monocultures is equally devastating.

Helping pollinators is easy.

Shunning pesticides is a great first step, because insecticides kill pollinators while herbicides destroy their food supply and sheltering plants. Leaving a small patch of lawn unmown, even as small as 10 square feet, creates a pollinator home.

Leaving an unmown area at the edge of the property or tucked into a corner won't detract from a well mowed lawn. Sometimes the common milkweed, essential for monarch reproduction, sprouts on its own in unmown areas.

Yard pollinator patches don't need to look weedy. Gorgeous flower beds, especially those with such natives as coneflowers and blazing stars, give desirable insects a place to live and nectar for dinner while adding a splash of color to a yard.

Erecting a bee home encourages pollinators. Mason bees, for example, are more efficient at fertilizing many garden vegetables than honey bees. They need holes in wood to reproduce but acceptable housing can easily be made from scrap wood or purchased from garden supply stores.

Encouraging pollinators enhances the health and beauty of a yard and can be simple or complex.

Detailed information can be found at www.xerces.org and www.nwf.org.