Pollinator Conservation

Pollinators are essential for the reproduction of many plants – fruits, vegetables, flowers, and trees all rely on them.  Pollinators help to ensure the diversity of the plant kingdom.  The definition of a pollinator is anything that transfers pollen.  This includes many insects and animals, and also wind and water. 

The most commonly thought of pollinator is the bee.  There are many types of bees with unique physical traits, and these physical traits have different flower trait requirements.  Bee-pollinated flowers tend to be showy and colorful.  Some are large, open bowls such as wild roses or sunflowers, while others are more complicated flowers such as peas or foxgloves. 

Butterfly-pollinated flowers are usually pink or lavender in color.  They are large, showy, and scented.  Frequently they will supply a landing area for the butterfly.  The nectar is usually at the bottom of a narrow tube or spur, accessible by the long tongue of the butterfly.  It would be hard or impossible for an insect without a long tongue to pollinate these types of flowers. 

Hawk moths are among the more important moth pollinators.  Their behavior is similar to hummingbirds, as they tend to hover in front of a flower.  Hawk moths are generally nocturnal, so they are attracted to night-opening flowers that produce a strong, sweet scent in the evening or early morning.  The flowers are large and usually white.  Other moths, smaller than the hawk moth, usually fly slowly and settle on the flower.  The flowers to which they are attracted tend to be smaller, but still strongly scented in the evening or early morning.

Flies exist in such large numbers that it makes them an important pollinator, too, although their pollinating activity is infrequent and unreliable.  Flies generally are attracted to flowers that are purple, violet, blue, and white, and with very little fragrance.  Some types of flies are attracted to plants with a strong, unpleasant odor, and which are usually brown or orange in color.  These plants are somewhat rare in our area, although one with which you may be familiar is the skunk cabbage.   

Beetle-pollinated flowers are usually large, greenish or off-white, and heavily scented.  Scents may be spicy, fruity, or mimic decaying organic material.  Most beetle-pollinated flowers are flattened or dish shaped, with pollen easily accessible.

Hummingbirds are the most familiar nectar-feeding birds in our area.  They are attracted to large, red or orange tubular flowers in front of which they can hover.  Birds do not have a strong sense of smell, and these flowers tend to be odorless.  The flowers produce diluted nectar which is secreted throughout the day.

Bats fill an important niche in pollination.  The flowers to which they are attracted resemble those that appeal to the hawk moth, in that they are open at night, are large and showy, and have strong odor.  They are usually white and often bell-shaped.  These plants tend to have larger pollen grains than do plants visited by other, smaller, pollinators.  Bats are initially attracted to flowers using their sight, smell, and echo-location.  Bats are the only pollinators who make use of an excellent spatial memory in order to visit the same flowers repeatedly.

In recent years, there as been a serious decline in the population of pollinators.  There are several reasons for this, including reduction of natural areas, monocultures, and pesticide misuse.  The drift of pesticides onto blooming weeds or flowers nearby is extremely damaging to local pollinators and can reduce or endanger pollinator populations for several years.  All pollinators are affected by loss of habitat, especially as meadow and forests are developed for housing and commercial use.  Bees are especially challenged now, with entire colonies collapsing overnight.  The primary cause of their demise is two types of mites, varroa and tracheal.  The varroa mites live within the hive and attack the eggs and young bees.  Tracheal mites live inside of and suck blood from the tracheal wall, causing the bees to literally die of blood loss.  In some areas, bee populations are slowly recovering, but in others, their disappearance continues to be devastating. 

A large variety of plants is necessary to provide for pollinators.  This not only accommodates different pollinators, but any one type of pollinator needs accessible food all year or season long. This requires plants that bloom at different times.  Flowers in all sizes, shapes, colors, and fragrances will attract a varied group of pollinators, thereby creating a diverse ecosystem with its own checks and balances.  Native plant species will attract native pollinators.  Areas that are left natural and untended will provide nourishment and homes for large numbers of pollinators.  Without them, the earth as we know it would cease to exist.