Save the [Wild] Bees

 

Now that the annual Great Southeastern Pollinator Census is complete for this year, I hope that at least a few people learned more about the presence and diversity of our native bees. Perhaps they noticed that that carpenter bees, bumble bees, and small bees – all categories of native bees – outnumbered non-native honey bees in their count. They should outnumber them because there are so many more species of native bees and because this is their home turf. 

Yet, each of these native bee species have specific roles and we do need all of them. Those of us who census count on a variety of flowers see that different bee species use different flowers (although some are generalists).

Conservation work should be associated with doing all we can to support native bees. However, a recent article discussed how some businesses are trying to boost their conservation credentials by installing honey bee hives on their property and proclaiming they want to ‘save the bees.’ A recent video discussed the same topic and said that proclaiming you want to save the bees but focusing on honey bees is like saying we should save the birds and using a chicken in your messaging.

Beekeepers manage honey bee hives like farmers manage their crops. It’s mostly about agriculture. This is not about conservation. According to the article, there are “more honey bees on the planet than there have ever been in human history,” and “the population is already overwhelming the finite floral resources” in some areas.

Honey bees are important for agriculture and the by-products of their work – honey, wax, pollen – are used and appreciated by humans as well. When it comes to average gardeners like most of us, we don’t need to help honey bees. We need to help our native bees in our conservation efforts. I’ve written about supporting native bees before and you can find those articles here, here, and here.

Some ideas for good native bee plants

The best way to help our native bees is to plant flowering plants and especially to incorporate plants native to our ecoregion in our gardens. We should plan to have flowering plants across all 3 seasons: Spring, Summer, and Fall. We should also avoid pesticides, including NOT having our yards treated for mosquitoes; despite what the companies taking your money say, the chemicals used do not apply only to mosquitoes. Practices like removing or treating standing water are among the best ways to manage mosquitoes.

Metallic bees like tiny flowers

So when it comes to talking about saving the bees, let’s direct the conversation to saving our wild and native bees. Those are the bees that need our help as much as native plants do. Luckily by using native plants in your garden, you have a chance to help both.

Note: This post is not intended to disrespect honey bees or the folks who keep hives for personal use.

Native Pollinators

Most people don't relish the thought of inviting more bees into their garden, but pollinators play an important role in our ecosystems. I've just finished reading a new book called "Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies".

Silphium connatum
Photo courtesy of Mary Tucker

Many folks know that pollinators are more than just bees and butterflies.  Pollinators include wasps, flies, beetles, even birds and bats.  Bees, however, are the best pollinators thanks to unique physical characteristics and nutritional needs.  Recent news stories about Colony Collapse Disorder have made even more people aware of how honey bees are used around the country to pollinate food crops through the transportation of hives in large trucks (timed to arrive as crops enter their flowering phase).  Honey bees, however, are not native bees.  There are hundreds of species of native bees that do a far better job of pollinating flowers than honey bees.  We need to support them.

Non-native honey bee approaches Quince flower

This book's goal is to educate folks on how to both attract and support native bees.  The concepts provided, however, apply also to attracting and supporting non-native bees and other insect pollinators.  The book includes an overview of each type of insect pollinator, including how effective they are in pollination (and why) and what living arrangements support them.  Understanding these details is important to any efforts we make to support them.

Dandelion

Of course it is important to understand why pollination is important, not just for food crops but all plants.  While some plants are capable of self-fertilization, many more need help with pollination or they can have a greater rate of fertilization and produce more vigorous offspring when cross-pollination occurs.  Plants that are endangered or which have reduced populations are especially sensitive to pollination problems: reduced pollination rates means fewer viable seeds and that ultimately affects the size of the population.  Even for plants that can self-pollinate, reductions in cross-pollination means less genetic diversity in the population as a whole.  While wind can help distribute some lighter weight pollens, it is insects that provide most of the "outcross" pollen that plants receive.

Bees: there are three things to understand about native bees - they can be solitary or social, they can nest in the ground or in a cavity, and that they are usually generalists when it comes to the plants from which they gather nectar and pollen.  Most people think of honey bee hives when they think of bee "living arrangements", but more than 90% of the 4,000 species of bees in North America lead solitary lives; this means that each female builds and stocks her own nest without any help.  Bumble bees are the best known native bees that live in a social arrangement.  In this arrangement, each bee has a specific job to do.  Of all the insect pollinators, bees are the most important group for two reasons: bees visit flowers specifically to gather nectar and pollen as food for their young and in doing so transfer large amounts of pollen to other flowers; bees are physically capable of transporting more pollen because of their individual body hairs and other pollen transportation features (we've all seen those big pollen globs on their legs, right?).

Wasps: it was fascinating to learn more about wasps.  Wasps, unlike bees, are carnivores during the larval stage, feeding on insect prey provided by their mothers.  Adult wasps visit flowers only to sip nectar for themselves, and most do not collect pollen on purpose; any pollen collected is by accident.  Pollination is largely incidental as a result their search for nectar (they also sup on soda and other sugary sources, remember?) and far less effective than pollination by bees.

Flies: as the largest group of insects (nearly 120,000 species worldwide), flies represent a significant portion of the insects that visit flowers.  However, like wasps, flies are only visiting flowers to grab some quick energy (nectar), and pollination is usually a by-product.  There are some flies that mimic the look of bees and wasps to elude those that would eat them.  Once way to distinguish a fly from a bee is to look at the number of wings: flies have two wings and bees have four. Flies are good pollinators for some food crops like strawberries and carrots; muscid flies have been commercially raised for carrot pollination purposes.

Butterflies and Moths: I think this statement from the book perfectly describes our relationship with these pollinators: "Although butterflies are not the most important pollinators of plants, they are among the most conspicuous."  Like wasps and flies, butterflies go to flowers only to sip nectar and therefore any pollination is only accomplished if they happen to pick up some pollen on their wings and spread it to the next flower.  I found an interesting tidbit on distinguishing butterflies from moths in this book: butterflies have a small bulbous tip at the end of their antennae.  Moths do not have this bulb.

Beetles: it is estimated that beetles predate bees by 50 million years (according to fossil records); therefore, beetles have been pollinating the earliest flowers (think Magnolia-like flowers) for a long time.  And if you thought there were a lot of flies, consider that there are 340,000 species of beetles worldwide!  Not all beetles visit flowers, and like the other insects except for bees, the purpose of their visit is only to nourish the adult.  In the case of beetles, it is to eat pollen, not sip nectar.

So now that we know we have all these pollinators, how can we help them?  In some cases, the answer is to be a bit more laissez-faire - leave the leaves on the ground to nourish ground dwelling critters like adult beetles and those that consume those creatures like wasps.  Leave dead tree snags and branches for wood burrowing insects like beetles and solitary bees. Brush piles and rocks help as well.  Leave some bare ground for ground-dwelling bees and wasps, and create special mason houses for bees that prefer those.

Plum (Prunus sp.)

Stokesia laevis with Asclepias tuberosa
Photo courtesy of Mike Strickland

You can have fun too; here is the fun part:  plant appropriate plants.  Here is a report on a project partially funded by the Georgia Native Plant Society; the project was a two-year study using Stokesia laevis to attract native pollinators.  When choosing plants: in general, you want to choose regionally appropriate and native plants that are long blooming, have overlapping bloom times, and have nectar-rich flowers.  Also plant butterly-host plants (including woody trees and shrubs) to sustain the larvae of butterflies and moths.  There are plenty of resources on the web about butterfly host plants for your area.  If you want to see the top 20 list of host plants for the mid-Atlantic area (both woody and herbaceous), check out this list provided by Doug Tallamy.

Helianthus sp.

Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides

This book is very helpful in understanding the importance of pollinators and how they live in the world around us.  I learned a lot and certainly plan to implement some changes in my garden to help these guys.  This book is published by The Xerces Society and is available on Amazon.  It includes 34 pages of identification pictures for native bees.  The reference section on pollinator plants is a bit skimpy - one would need to do more research to come up with more regional choices.  In general, look for pollen and nectar-rich flowers like the Helianthus and Viburnum pictured above.

These are unopened flower buds on my blueberry bushes (Vaccinium sp.).  The bees were circling them in the bright sunshine yesterday.  There was no doubt they knew that the buds would be open soon and were anxious to be there when it happened.  How wonderful that we help each other at the same time - they get what they need and I get more blueberries!

Bee Welcome

On your path to nature, what did you fall in love with first? It probably wasn’t bees, was it? We grow up from childhood with a healthy respect for creatures that can pack a powerful sting. The one I remember first was during 3^rd grade recess – a honeybee in a patch of blooming clover. Today I look for bees in my garden because they are a sign of a working ecosystem, and they are always welcome here.

Southeastern blueberry bee

In my current appreciation for bees, I am naturally curious about what kinds are visiting and what I can do to make them feel even more welcome. I was excited to get a new book recently, “Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide.” It is written by Heather Holm, author of “Pollinators of Native Plants.” Her first book was great and so my expectations were high for this new book.

How did she do? The book is amazingly detailed and so full of information that my expectations have been exceeded. Chapter 1 sets the stage for detail with 30 pages of background on bees: life cycle, anatomy, nesting, their relationship with flowers, and the latest issues that impact bees. All of it is beautifully illustrated with close-up photos. This section closes with a 4-page spread that illustrates key characteristics “at a glance.” I love the pictorial illustrations that highlight the sizes; they really help me envision one bee relative to others. 

Chapters 2 through 6 get up close and personal with bee families: Colletidae, Andrenidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae, and Apidae. Each family is divided into several genera. I didn’t know that the Apidae family included the European honeybee as well as the native bumblebees (plus several others). Profiles vary in size but each includes basic information: size, months of activity, presence in the Eastern US, how they collect pollen (if applicable), nest details, life cycle, and common forage plants. Each profile has numerous photos of the bee, often both male and female.

Example of a bee profile, we have these bees in Georgia

Monarda punctata stems

I feel fortunate that I read this book so early in the season. My understanding of “leaving stems in place” for bees to nest in was obviously wrong. First, bees that nest in stems need cut or broken stems so that they have a way to get into them. Second, it is in the springtime that they use them and they need them for a whole year. I used to think they needed them over the winter and I could cut them to the ground in the spring.

Here’s an example of what they need: in spring of 2017, cut the old stems of 2016 to 15 inches. Bees will lay eggs in them during the spring. Leave those stems in place all during 2017; the new foliage will grow up around them. In spring 2018, new bees will emerge from them and then the stems will start to naturally break down. You don’t need to remove them. Repeat this every year. You could also cut some stems and stick them in other areas or in pots so that they are available to bees elsewhere. I did that with some super long stems from tall meadow rue (Thalictrum pubescens).

Chapters 7-10 cover native plants that are good for bee forage:  Large Trees, Small Trees & Large Shrubs, Small Shrubs, and Annuals/Biennials/Perennials. Heather’s love of native plants really shines in these chapters.  Plant profiles include flowering time, distribution, habitat, what bees use them as well as helpful symbols to indicate if they support other insects, birds, or are larval host plants. Just like the bee profiles, each one is packed with information.

Example of a plant profile, Geranium maculatum is native to Georgia

A Colletes bee from 2014

I plan to use this book all through the spring and summer to watch certain plants for bee activity as well as to identify bees. Even though the book indicates its plant profiles are for the Northeast and Midwest regions, many of the plants featured are also native to the Southeast.

Boosting the Bumbles

After a month and a half of blooming, my Hypericum shrubs are winding down. Known commonly as St. John’s wort, Hypericum is a genus of annuals, perennials and shrubs with 31 species that are native to Georgia. I have written about this genus before, so I won’t repeat, but these plants always highlight for me the support that bumble bees need.

Bumble bees on Prenanthes

Whenever my Hypericum flowers are open, they are covered in bumble bees, especially the common but oh-so-adorable Eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens (named by the way, for the genus of plants Impatiens, such as our native jewelweed, I. capensis, which they like to visit). Even when the Hypericum is not flowering, these native bees come visiting to check out what is flowering. In the spring, for example, they love beardtongue flowers (Penstemon).

Bumble bee on Agastache

Bumble bees are one of the few species of native bees that are social. While they don’t make honey, they do create a cluster of wax-brood cells in small hidden spaces such as an old hole or under a clump of grass. Workers tend to the larvae in the cells, bringing more provisions as needed. Small quantities of nectar may be stored for use by the colony. This is unlike solitary bees that provision the larvae once and then do not return.

The nest is only used for one year, and the workers die over the winter. I hope one day to find a nest (even an old one). I feel sure that there is probably one somewhere on my property given how many worker bees that I see. You can see a good picture of a nest here.

There are several recent articles out lately about bumble bee population declines and the trend is disturbing. Bees are being affected by pesticide use via the movement of pesticides through the nectar and pollen that they collect. In addition, a study on insect response to climate change shows that they are less likely to move north even while their populations are diminishing in their southern ranges.

Bumble bee on Eupatorium

I have noticed what other flowers that bumble bees visit in my yard. They include anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Eupatorium, rattlesnakeroot (Prenanthes) and some of the non-native herbs that I grow like oregano, catnip and basil. If you grow those herbs, let them go to flower every now and then and see what you get. Their tiny flowers are just perfect for bumbles. Holly (Ilex spp.) flowers are also so popular that I tell people not to plant hollies if they don’t like bees.

Bumble bee on Hypericum

Bumble bees are worth supporting and provide a lot of important pollination services. If you would like to support them, observe what flowers they visit already and add more or try one of the ones mentioned here.

So You Want to Support Pollinators – Part 1

As more information becomes available about pollinator declines (and insects in general), people are inspired to think about how they can make changes to their landscapes in support of them. I’ve agreed to give a talk this summer about this topic so, if you don’t mind, I’m going to use the next several blog entries to flesh out what to say to people who are eager to listen.

Monarch on blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) in the fall

Benefits – people want to know why it’s worthwhile to put the effort into choosing specific plants for pollinators. What pollinators are likely to benefit? Is there any other reason to consider doing this?

1. Bees – while many flowers can support bees, there are some flowers that especially support native bees and others that are more nutritious and healthy for bees in general.  I loved finding the southeastern blueberry bee in my garden several years ago. In addition, the concept of native bees as distinct from honey bees is getting more attention. Besides what you plant, your pollinator garden design can increase your support of native bees.
2. Butterflies – adult butterflies enjoy many flowers while butterfly (and moth) caterpillars have more specific requirements and these requirements are usually native plants. If you’d like to have more butterflies swirling around your garden, planting what the caterpillars need is a way to keep ‘em coming.
3. Birds – supporting birds is a bonus side benefit of pollinator gardens. Seed-eating birds like goldfinches are grateful that you planted coneflowers and sunflowers. Insect-eating birds (and parents with hungry chicks) enjoy some of the bugs (that is, pollinators) who visit your garden.

Megachile bee on Rudbeckia

Southeastern blueberry bee

Basics – it all comes down to several key choices when deciding how to populate your pollinator garden. You’ll want food and shelter. When it comes to food, you’ll want it to be pesticide free and you’ll want a selection of both host as well as nectar plants. I like to say that the nectar plants bring them in and the host plants convince them to stay (and lay eggs). Plant choice makes a difference:

1. What are host plants? Another term is ‘food’ plants and they are the plants on which butterflies, moths and other bugs will lay their eggs. One of the most well-known examples is the Monarch butterfly and its host plant milkweed (Asclepias sp.) and related plants in the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae). You have two options for where to locate your host plants:

1. In your pollinator garden – these are chosen specifically to be a part of your pollinator garden and are usually perennial plants: the milkweeds for Monarchs, the pussytoes for the American ladies, pea family members for skippers, passion-vines and violets for fritillaries, etc.
2. Near your pollinator garden – these include trees and shrubs that are located in the area around your garden: spicebush for spicebush butterflies, sassafras and tuliptree for tiger swallowtails, plus oaks, cherries, elms and others.

2. What are nectar plants? These are the flowering plants. Some might flower only in one season (spring/summer/fall) but return each year so they are considered perennials. Annual plants may flower throughout several seasons and are generally showier. Over time you might observe that different bees and butterflies like different flowers; this is usually because of the length of their tongue:

1. Short-tongued bees, small bees, and small butterflies like skippers use smaller flowers and flowers with shorter floral tubes. These include the flowers of milkweeds, asters, goldenrods, coreopsis, sunflowers, mints, etc. Some flowers are simply for crawling inside: turtleheads and penstemons make for great bee-watching as bumble bees scoot in and out of the flower itself.
2. Long-tongued bees and butterflies with long proboscis (as well as hummingbirds) prefer flowers with long tubes like cardinal flower, sages, native azaleas and vines like native honeysuckle, crossvine, and trumpet creeper. 
3. You'll want a variety of flowers to satisfy different pollinators.

Bumble bee shares coneflower with caterpillar

Andrena bee on hawthorn

Next week we’ll talk about How to Start, including evaluating your space and conditions as well as choosing your plants. Part 3 will cover implementation.

The Bumbles Nest

The blog is a way for me to share Georgia’s beautiful native plants, the insects, and the critters that depend on them, as well as my weekly discoveries and adventures in the natural world. Of all the things I write about, the stories that originate in my own garden are the most special. This week’s blog is about bumble bees in the garden.

Female bees pack pollen on their hind legs (on Monarda fistulosa)

Males bees are just looking for nectar for themselves (on Monarda fistulosa)

Bumble bees have always been a part of my garden. I see them visit many, many flowers. Right now they are squeezing into the beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) flowers and slurping up the last bit of nectar from the nearly spent wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). Surely they must live nearby? 

Bumble bees are one of the few native bees that form a social nest, which is a collection of wax balls with eggs and a nectar pot. 

A bumble bee approaches Penstemon digitalis

Bees are excellent pollinators of milkweed (on Asclepias exaltata)

According to Heather Holm’s book, bumble bees nest in a variety of places: rodent holes, under plant debris, in old bird nests, and other insulated places. This spring I actually found one. In mid-April, I noticed that wrens were building a nest in the garage. Last year they had built one in an old straw hat on a shelf outside the garage. I decided to clear out that nest to encourage them to use it again. As I dumped the old nest onto the ground, an angry buzz came from it!

Puzzled – and more than a little alarmed – I poked it again and watched for any activity. Another angry buzz sounded but nothing came out. I left it for a day and pondered what to do. I reached out to Heather and she said that it could be bumble bees. She suggested trying to carefully put it back into the hat and return it to the general area. Armed with gloves and cardboard for sliding, I reassembled it that evening (also her suggestion). 

Bumble bee entering the nest

At that point, I could only wait to see if the nest would remain viable. This week, I was finally able to be around and see bumble bees entering the nest. It was still good! I’m sure there are other bumble bee nests somewhere in the garden, but I’m glad to have a confirmed discovery of one. (Maybe I can dissect it when they’re done with it.) Bumble bees are not aggressive around their nest like yellow jackets so I don't mind having it on the shelf.

Next week when I clean out the bluebird box, I’ll be sure to stash that old nest somewhere the bees might find it next spring.

Wild Bees for the Win in Georgia’s Blueberry Crops

 

Penstemon smallii

A couple weeks ago I wrote about my garden’s new Penstemon species. They are still blooming – along with several other species of beardtongue – and the bumblebees are having a blast. Soon my St. John’s wort (Hypericum) shrubs will be in bloom and they’ll move on to it, following seasonal bloom cycles as if their life depended on it.

The bees are not just here to amuse me, they have a role to play. An article published this week by UGA CAES highlighted a study of the role of Georgia’s bees in our blueberry crops. Here are a couple of quotes from the article:

“The study, published in Environmental Entomology, recorded more than 5,000 wild bees, identifying 72 species across 26 genera — the most comprehensive survey of wild bees conducted in Georgia blueberry farms.”

“As part of a broader USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) project aimed at boosting blueberry yields by establishing pollinator- and predator-friendly flowering plants around fields, Sarah Rezende focused on how wild bee populations shift across space and time in southeast Georgia blueberry farms.”

This kind of data gives us an important tool to convince farmers and policy-makers that native plants and the insects that they attract can be significant contributors to their crop success. According to the article, “Georgia ranked third nationally in blueberry production.” The study also emphasizes that having flowering plants across all 3 growing seasons is important to maintain a robust population of those native bees.

“The most important thing farmers and residents can do is support a wide variety of flowering plants that bloom throughout the year. This not only helps sustain a diverse range of bees but also ensures their populations remain strong across seasons. Because different solitary and specialist bee species forage at different times, continuous blooms are essential.”

I've written about native bees before and you might find some of these previous posts helpful. They include resources such as books and lists of plants. And I’ll close with a photo of our spectacular specialist bee, the Southeastern blueberry bee. Georgia's farmers and gardeners can’t afford to lose her.

Native Plants for Native Bees

Save the Wild Bees

Bee Welcome - a post about a really useful book!

Southeastern blueberry bee

Native Plants for Native Bees

Support for pollinators is increasing as the message about their importance circulates to even wider audiences. Pollinator Week was created twelve years ago and is now celebrated world-wide, taking the message even further. I have been frustrated every year with graphic images that get circulated showing “flowers to support bees” but which contain 80% non-native plants and largely reference benefits to honey bees (which are great but they are not native to the US).

I have told myself for years that someone needs to create one for native bees. This year, I finally did it (with the help of my very talented husband, of course). Since this blog is Georgia-focused, the graphic that we created focuses on southeastern native plants (I hope this inspires other regional lists). Unlike other graphics which focus on herbaceous plants, I have more realistically included some woody shrubs and trees as well since native bees use them too.  

The plant photos are my own and the two bee images are educational photos from Clay Bolt’s website. The big one on the left is our most common bumble bee, Bombus impatiens (I love how it is named for a native flower that it frequents, Impatiens sp.). He didn’t identify the bee on the right, but I think it is also a species of bumble bee (please post in the comments if you know it).

I have written many times about supporting our native bees and you can find a list of those posts by clicking this link. The list on this graphic is unfortunately short due to the nature of people wanting a quick and colorful graphic. I deliberately only listed the genus name of these plants; each one can have a variety of species which you can choose to use. You can find 10 pages of native plant recommendations by looking at my Spring, Summer, and Fall lists in my latest pollinator post here.

Bumble bee on partridge pea

Metallic green bee on milkweed

Southeastern blueberry bee

Leafcutter bee on orange coneflower

Native bees have unique relationships with native plants that they don’t have with non-native plants. While some can certainly benefit from the non-native plants recommended in the other graphics, some of them will go hungry. In addition, native plants also support other herbivore insects like moths and butterflies that use them for host plants. And honey bees can use our native plants too, of course.

Bumble bee on bushy St. John's wort

Bumble bee on wild bergamot

Unknown bee on aster

Unknown bee on redbud

Small carpenter bee on wild plum

Feel free to download this graphic (it is a jpg) and share it far and wide. Let’s get the message out louder for native bees and the native plants that support them.

The Dandelion Message for Americans

A popular post has been circulating on social media entitled “Want to Help Bees? Leave the Dandelions Alone This Spring.” While this is a very admirable message, I’d like to point out that it is taken from a talk by a British ecologist about a native plant in Britain (dandelions). It is meant to convey a broader message, of course, but I think that the finer points that need to be made are getting lost in the weeds for American gardeners. Here are the key takeaways:

• Flowers for native bees are important throughout the seasons. 
• Stop trying to kill every weed in your lawn, particularly using chemicals to do it. 
• We can support native bees in our own yard – everyone can do something. 
• It’s important that each landscape be contributing to native insects. 
• Native plants are the right choices.

Southeastern blueberry bee

Do we have native bees checking out dandelions in March? Yes, but they primarily emerge to get nectar and pollen from the native plants that flower in March: red maple (Acer rubrum) trees, spring beauty (specialist bee on Claytonia sp.), early blueberries (specialist bee on Vaccinium sp.), native plums (Prunus sp.), etc.

Native bees aren't here for the dandelions; they're here for native plants and those are the ones we want in our lawns, on our roadsides, and in every sidewalk crack they want to occupy. Throughout the year, native bees help native plants be the best they can be (at producing native fruits for wildlife).

Now if the only message you got out of what I just said is that dandelions are not native to the US and we should not support them, let me explain again:

• Native plants matter to all native insects.
• Flowering native plants help native bees.
• Don’t get rid of things to have a perfect landscape.
• You should have flowering plants native to your area in your yard during all 3 seasons (spring, summer, and fall), even if that means having pots of plants on your patio and balcony.
• Everyone can contribute to helping native bees and other insects.

So, if you’re going to share the dandelion message, remember that not everyone reads beyond the headlines and that the message is bigger than leaving dandelions alone. Share the message that really matters. We need flowering plants even in our lawns and they should be native plants.

Spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) in the lawn at my library

We Got Your Pollinators Here

Tomorrow kicks off Pollinator Week 2013 so I thought it would be appropriate to talk about some of the plants blooming now which support pollinators. Pollinators do come in all shapes, sizes and species – butterflies, beetles, bees, wasps, flies, even birds and bats. I think lots of people think of butterflies and bees when the subject of insect pollinators comes up, but those other guys are out there doing their share of the heavy lifting when it comes to pollinating our native plants, so think kindly of the wasps, flies and beetles too.

Hoverfly on Stokesia laevis

This hoverfly (also known as a syrphid fly) nectars on flowers, helping to pollinate as it goes. Did you know that it's larvae eat plant-sucking pests like aphids and thrips? This is definitely an insect that you'll want to attract to your garden!

What are some good plants to attract insect pollinators like the hoverfly?

There are many colorful flowers blooming right now that support insect pollinators. In fact, bright colors and showy petals are a plant's deliberate attempt to attract insects because their heavy pollen is not carried by the wind; it must be transported from flower to flower. Different plants attract different types of pollinators:

Stoke’s aster (Stokesia laevis) - butterflies, flies, bees, wasps - see picture above and research report here.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) - butterflies

Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele

St. John’s wort (Hypericum spp.) - bees and flies

Hypericum densiflorum

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) - butterflies and beetles

Silvery Checkerspot, Chlosyne nycteis on coneflower

Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) – wasps and butterflies

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) butterfly on mountain mint

Hyssop (Agastache spp.) - bees

Agastache foeniculum with a fast moving bee!

Cup plant (Silphium spp.) - bees, butterflies, flies

Silphium perfoliatum

Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) - beetles and bees

Banded longhorn, Typocerus velutinus

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta, R. triloba, R. fulgida) - bees, butterflies, flies

Here a small spider watches a sweat bee on Rudbeckia hirta

Another benefit to remember for these plants - most of them create tasty seeds for songbirds once they have been pollinated. I like plants that can do double duty when it comes to wildlife! But first, those plants need to be pollinated, so welcome these insects to your yard to complete the ecosystem.