Creating a Pollinator Friendly Yard

There’s a reason pollinators are all over the news and the internet.  It’s not unusual to see headlines  like “Pollinators are endangered!”, “Save the bees!”, and “Monarch butterflies are dying.” I wish these articles were hyperbole, but they aren’t. The good news is that everyone can do their part to help pollinators survive. I’ll answer many questions that will let you create a pollinator-friendly yard, helping sustain the ecosystem in your corner of the world.

Below, I will cover:

• What are pollinators?

• Why are they important?

• Why are they threatened?

• What can we do?

• How do we do it?

• What are the impacts?

What are Pollinators?

Pollinators are insects and animals that move pollen from one plant to another. Plants depend on this intimate interaction to reproduce. A bumblebee, for example, co-evolved with plants to get food (nectar and pollen) from many plant species. In return, the bumbles carry pollen from plant to plant, kind of like a fuzzy Johnny Appleseed. Bumble bees even have special hairs and pollen baskets on their bodies to make this task easier. I’ve seen bumble bees covered with pollen, sound asleep inside squash blossoms. Now that is coexistence!

Pollinators include bees, flies, wasps, beetles, moths, butterflies, birds, and more. In MN, there are around 500 species of native bees alone! The pollination that these critters do is what creates a significant share of food for us, wildlife, and livestock. When pollinators do better, we all do better, but how did things get so bad?

Why are they threatened, & Why are they important?

Loss of habitat is the most serious issue facing pollinators. A healthy habitat will contain water, food, and shelter. It also provides safety and is a haven for our pollinators. Human development and agriculture are the biggest consumers of natural habitat.

Lawns are the largest irrigated crop in the country! Lawns and other monocultures of a single species, like corn and soybeans, are a desert to a pollinator. There is no food, no nesting sites, and any available water is possibly contaminated with pesticides. Tiny pollinators whose range is 400 yards cannot cross large suburban lawns or crop fields, and they become landlocked. These groups lose genetic diversity and die off. (See my previous blog “Turf Alternatives “.)

Another thing that degrades habitat is invasive plants like buckthorn. They take over a landscape and push out native species that can’t compete. Soon, there is nothing but the invasive plants, which provide little food or shelter. Remediation of these infestations causes lots of disturbance when removed and requires pesticide applications.

Pesticides are lethal to pollinators, and they persist for quite a long time in the soil and in plant tissues. One family of pesticides called neonicotinoids is taken up by plants and stored in their tissues. Any pollinator that consumes the plant tissue, like nectar or pollen, receives a lethal dose of pesticides. Imagine whole fields of plants treated this way. This product will still be in the plant residues when it degrades into the soil. This has a negative effect on the soil microbiology, which in turn affects native plants and pollinators.

Other pesticide sources are genetically modified organisms or GMOs. These are plants whose genetics are artificially altered so the plant can tolerate pesticides. Corn, soybeans, sugar beets, and many other crops have been genetically modified so that farmers can apply Roundup for weed control. Vast areas of treated crops result in widespread pesticide applications, which inevitably affect native plant populations.

Climate change is another stressor on plants and pollinators. Certain species of plants and pollinators cannot tolerate long-lasting changes to temperature, moisture, sunlight, or wind. These environmental changes cause disease, poor nutrition, and competition for resources.

The positive side is that if we caused it, we can solve it.

What Can We Do?

There are several solutions we can all do to help pollinators.  Our native pollinators co-evolved with native plants, and they most definitely need each other to thrive. The best way to create habitat is to plant native plants and reduce or remove lawns

The situation sounds dismal and can be discouraging, but there is reason to hope. Pollinator conservation groups are multiplying and growing in membership. The average person wants to help butterflies and bees. There are many things you can do. Here is what can happen in your yard.

How do we do it?

Create habitat.

Pollinators need food, shelter, and safety. These can be best supplied by planting a native plant garden and landscape. Diversity of plants is key. Have 3 species in bloom all season long so that there is a constant food source. Plant species in groups so that pollinators can easily identify the plants. Having grasses and sedges (a grasslike plant) in the landscape provides shelter and safety for those species that need a nook to crawl into for a good night’s sleep. I’ve seen bees clinging to flower heads on chilly mornings and windy days and others resting in a shady spot.

Another important part of a habitat is nesting sites. Some pollinators like bare soil to tunnel in, while others prefer dead wood, hollow stems, and fall leaves. Don’t be a clean freak when it comes to fall or spring cleanup. You can simply remove leaves from the lawn to a native garden for cover for pollinators.

If you can reduce the size of your lawn and replace it with a native garden, you have turned a negative into a positive. Be strategic and remove the areas of lawn that are problematic, like a boulevard, deep shade, low wet areas, hot dry patches, and steep slopes. These can be difficult to care for and are the places where people put the most water, fertilizer, and pesticides, usually with poor results. There are native plants that will thrive in these conditions.

Plant keystone species like oaks with plant communities underneath. An oak tree will host hundreds of species of insects to lay eggs in its bark and canopy. These hatch into larvae, which birds feed to their young in the spring. The survivors will fall into the plant community below, where there are host plants for many kinds of pollinators. A conservation group called Wild Ones has a plan called Soft Landings that was designed to work under oak trees.

Stop Pesticides. Go organic with your yard. Organic lawn care focuses on creating healthy soil so that grass can crowd out weeds. This requires making sure to supplement water if the rains don’t come. If you aren’t willing to do that chore, consider having an alternative turf.

Say no to neonicotinoids! Ask your plant suppliers if they sell or grow plants treated with neonics and only buy from those who can say no without hesitation.

Remove Invasive Species

There are numerous plant species that are invasive. Buckthorn, garlic mustard, non-native honeysuckle, vinca, and Dutch white clover are just a few. You need to have a plan to remove the invasive plants, heal the soil they damage, and replant with a native plant community. Reach out to me for more info.

Pollinator Lawns

A recent popular trend has been Bee Lawns and Pollinator Lawns. They usually consist of fine fescue grasses with flowers, like self-heal, clover, and creeping thyme. There are versions that use native grasses and native flowers that are much more beneficial for pollinators than the bee lawn described earlier. Site preparation is important for a successful installation.

A word of caution on Dutch white clover. Studies  show that native bees can pick up diseases left on clover by domesticated honey bees. You do not need to try to eradicate Dutch white clover; just use a more appropriate native plant community in planting a pollinator lawn.

Provide Water

Pollinators, like most living creatures, need water. It’s best if it is fresh, clean, and in a safe, protected area out of the wind.

Place shallow dishes with pebbles or floating materials so bees and butterflies can land and creep towards safe drinking water.

What are the impacts?

If all of these conditions are provided for our pollinators, humans would receive great benefit. Food stability resulting from healthy pollination is a definite plus for the entire planet. The habitat of native plants alone would filter more water and protect our lakes and streams from contaminating runoff. The deep root systems that native plants create would sequester vast amounts of atmospheric carbon, a major greenhouse gas.

If everyone had a landscape without pesticides and polluting synthetic fertilizers, it would not only help pollinators but would also help clean up our entire world.

As I said before, if pollinators do better, we all do better. If you would like to know more or walk through your landscape to discuss options, feel free to contact me for a consultation.