Three-fourths of the world's flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. That's one out of every three bites of food you eat. More than 3,500 species of native bees help increase crop yields.
Introduction
A pollinator garden is a collection of plants grown with the goal of attracting wild pollinators. Pollination is the process by which plants reproduce and produce seeds. Fertilization takes place when pollen from one flower's male part is transferred to the female part of another flower of the same species. Nearly 90% of wild flowering plants require pollinators such as bees to transfer pollen for successful sexual reproduction. These plants, in turn, play an important role in the functioning of ecosystems. They provide food, habitat, and a variety of other resources to many animal species.
Steps to create friendly pollinator
- Use a wide variety of plants that bloom from early spring into late fall.
- Avoid modern hybrid flowers, especially those with "doubled" flowers.
- Eliminate pesticides whenever possible.
- Include larval host plants in your landscape.
- Create a damp salt lick for butterflies and bees
- You can add to nectar resources by providing a hummingbird feeder.
Benefits
- Support Honey Bees
- Improve Your Home’s Air Quality
- Improve Your Home’s Air Quality
- 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.