W​HAT IS A POLLINATOR?

A pollinator is something that spreads pollen from the male part of one flower, to the female part of another flower. In most cases, these creatures come to the flowers to collect pollen or nectar for food. While they are crawling around on or reaching into the flower, pollen gets stuck on their bodies. When they move to the next flower, some of the pollen falls off and pollinates the flower. Types of pollinators include honeybees, bumble bees, solitary bees, hummingbirds and other birds, bats, butterflies, ants, wasps, flies, beetles, and more. Different types of pollinators prefer different types of plants, so planting a variety of shapes, textures, and colors will help attract them to your yard. An oasis of diversity! Other ways you can help include waiting until spring for garden cleanup and leaving old wood scattered around your yard for nesting bees. Of the almost 20,000 bee species on Earth, 90% lead solitary lives rather than social or hive related. These prefer to build their nests in the ground or in old trees, stumps, and branches around the yard. Adding mud-puddling dishes for butterflies and water sources for birds, are also great ways to attract pollinators to your yard.

If there is a specific pollinator you are trying to attract, ex: Monarch Butterflies, you can look up plants that are specifically attractive to them like Milkweed and other plants that have large flat blossom clusters like Autumn Joy Sedum.