insect condo | backyardsfornature.org

By Barb Elliot

The earliest spring flowers will soon emerge. In my garden I’ll admire the delicate white petals of Bloodroot, the first to bloom. Soon I’ll enjoy the blue bell-like flowers of Jacob’s Ladder, the bright yellow of Golden Ragwort, and striking red blooms of Wild Columbine. The flowers are charming, but I will be more captivated by their insect visitors. Small bees and flies will fly from blossom to blossom. Working intently, they will stop briefly to feed and gather nectar and pollen. These will be the first pollinators of the year.

Skipper sipping nectar from Upland Ironweed. @ Barb Elliot

As spring and summer progress, pollinators will visit the succession of blooms on my native trees, shrubs, and perennials. Bees, butterflies, flies, beetles, and wasps will be at work. I’ll watch each butterfly unfurl its straw-like proboscis to daintily probe flower heads and sip nectar. Yellow pollen grains will dot the heads and bodies of bees and flies. Female bees will sport saddlebag-like pollen baskets on their hind legs. The undersides of leafcutter bees’ abdomens will be golden from pollen grains stored on special hairs.

Bumble Bee with pollen baskets. Photo by Beatriz Moisset. Wikimedia Creative Commons.

I’ll notice the size, shape, and tongue lengths of pollinators – characteristics that enable some to better exploit different shaped flowers than others. Iridescent green sweat bees will glisten in the sunlight as they feed on nectar. The strikingly-marked Locust Borer Beetle will catch my attention as it methodically forages for pollen on my goldenrods. I’ll marvel at how close I can get to colorful wasps as they busily collect nectar. Hover flies will hang suspended in air as they take a break from feeding on nectar and pollen. After dark, with my flashlight, I’ll find moths flying from flower to flower, performing nighttime pollination.

Locust Borer Beetle on goldenrod. Wikimedia Creative Commons photo.

My flowering plants put on their royal finery to entice these pollinators, not me. Their showy colors and patterns advertise and guide the pollinators to the plants’ nectar and pollen. The plants must rely on the pollinators to transport pollen among different flowers of the same species. This cross-pollination enables plants to produce the seeds and fruit needed for reproduction. Well-pollinated plants bear more fruit, produce genetically diverse seed, and are healthier. For the pollinators the nectar provides carbohydrates for energy. The pollen supplies them and their offspring with protein, vitamins, minerals, fats, and starches.

Pollinators play essential roles in our ecosystems. Seventy-five percent of the world’s plants require pollinators to produce seed or fruit. One-third of our food supply comes from pollinator-reliant plants. Birds and other wildlife in my yard and the world over eat

Green Sweat Bee. Photo by Beatriz Moisset on Wikimedia Creative Comoons.

the seeds and fruits produced by pollinator-dependent plants. Pollinators themselves are food for birds and other animals, including insects. A diverse population of pollinators is critical to the web of life.

Unfortunately, many pollinators are in decline. Some are threatened with extinction. Our most beloved pollinator, the Monarch butterfly, is in serious trouble. The eastern U.S. population crashed in 2013, and the smallest number on record over-wintered in Mexico this year. Not only Monarchs but other pollinator populations, including bees, our most prolific pollinators, are in trouble, too. The effects of Colony Collapse Disorder on non-native honeybee populations are well known. However, many of our 4,000 U.S. native bee species, key pollinators of both

Bumble bee with tongue extended on Mountain Mint. Photo @ Barb Elliot.

native plants and crops, are also at risk. Bumble bees seem particularly hard hit, with about half of our 47 U.S. species in decline. Some are in danger of extinction. Less studied pollinators like beetles, wasps, and moths are likely declining as well.

Loss of good foraging and nesting habitat is the primary cause for pollinator declines. Pesticides and introduced parasites add to the toll. Many experts believe neonicotinoid insecticides pose a particular threat to bees and other pollinators. Those that forage on treated plants become weak or die. “Neonics” and other systemic pesticides are taken up through a plant’s roots and travel to all parts of the plant, including its nectar and pollen. Last June, 50,000 bumble bees foraging on flowering trees at a single location in Oregon were killed after the trees were sprayed with a neonicotenoid. Neonics are present in a variety of insecticide brands commonly sold to gardeners. They are also used in nurseries that raise plants. In fact, some plants sold as bee-attractants contain neonicotenoids.

Wasp on Mountain Mint. @ Barb Elliot

Despite all the threats, we gardeners can help sustain pollinator populations in our area. (See table below.) Some gardeners like to attract butterflies, but balk at inviting moths, bees, beetles, flies, and wasps. However, these insects have important roles to play in the web of life and are generally harmless to gardeners. Native bees are unaggressive and rarely sting. Even wasps are docile when foraging on flowers, although they may forcefully defend a nest. By incorporating a variety of native plants in our yards, our most important conservation action, we will attract pollinators that are also predators and keep insect populations in check. Various beetles, flies, and wasps prey on aphids and other insect pests. By growing a diversity of native plants (see plant list below), we will encourage a healthy balance of insects in our gardens.

Hover Fly on Snakeroot. @ Barb Elliot

I hope the plight of the Monarch butterfly will compel us to action. We must help not just the Monarchs* but the less charismatic butterfly, bee, fly, wasp, beetle, and moth pollinators as well. For too long, we have ignored pollinators or treated them as pests to be destroyed. We have gardened for aesthetics and our enjoyment without considering nature. These beneficial creatures are crucial players in the web of life in our own gardens and beyond. We can make a difference for them. We and our gardens will benefit.

*Please note that we will be selling milkweed plants for Monarchs again this year! Stay tuned for an upcoming post about Monarchs and details of the milkweed sale.

How to Help Pollinators
Provide Food
Plant:	¨ A variety of nectar- and pollen-rich native plants. Strive for 8 or more species. ¨ Perennials in clusters, preferably 5 or more of a single species, so plants are easily found. ¨ For a succession of blooms from early spring through late fall. ¨ Natives with different flower shapes for pollinators or varied sizes, shapes, and tongue lengths. ¨ Host plants for butterflies and moths.
Buy plants at local native plant retailers or where sellers identify whether plants are pre-treated with systemic pesticides such as neonicotinoids. Remove invasive plants so they crowd out natives
Provide nesting and overwintering sites
Leave:	¨ Areas of bare soil in sunny, well-drained spots. ¨ Stumps, logs on the ground, dead branches and trees. ¨ Leaf litter for over-wintering butterflies, moths, beetles and their larvae or pupae ¨ Stems of perennials standing from fall through late winter
Provide artificial nest sites, e.g., a wooden bee block or a bundle of stems or paper straws. Every 2 years replace or clean with a 3:1 water-bleach solution. Click here for more info. Build a “pollinator condo”. Click here for “how to info” or here for inspirational examples.
Provide water
Add a shallow dish with sloped sides for easy entry and exit Keep an area of soil moist or muddy for butterflies and other pollinators that forage for minerals and salts in soil
Prevent pesticide poisoning
Don’t use pesticides, but especially avoid neonicotinoids. Click here for a list of common brands containing neonics. Don’t apply herbicides or fungicides to lawn or beds with nest sites or pollinator plants
Other Ways to Help Pollinators
Make a commitment to protect pollinators by getting your yard certified as a pollinator habitat and posting a sign. See The Xerces Society’s “Bring Back the Pollinators” campaign Become a citizen scientist to help scientists track pollinator populations, such as by reporting sightings of bumble bees to Bumble Bee Watch or other species to Project Noah

Recommended Native Plants for Pollinators by Bloom Period
Common Name	Botanical Name	Flower Color	Bloom Period^	Height	Soil	Exposure	Notes
Perennials
Bloodroot	Sanguinaria canadensis	White	April	6-8”	Dry to moist	Part shade to shade
Golden Ragwort	Packera aurea	Yellow	April-May	1-2’	Moist to wet	Part shade to shade	Host plant. Deer resistant
Jacob’s Ladder	Polemonium reptans	Blue	April-May	8-15”	Moist	Part shade to shade	Deer resistant
Wild Geraniium	Geranium maculatum	Pink – purple	April-May	1-3’	Moist to dry	Part sun to shade	Host plant. Deer resistant
False Solomon’s Seal	Maianthemum racemosum	White-cream	May	12-24”	Moist to dry	Part shade to shade
Smooth Solomon’s Seal	Polygonatum biflorum	White -light yellow	May-June	2-4’	Moist to dry	Part sun	Deer resistant
Wild Columbine	Aquilegia canadensis	Red	May-June	1-3’	Moist to average	Part sun to shade	Deer resistant
Beardtongue	Penstemon digitalis	White	June-July	2-3’	Dry to moist	Sun to part shade	Deer resistant
Bee Balm	Monarda didyma	Red	June-August	3-4’	Moist to dry	Sun to part shade	Deer resistant
Butterfly Milkweed	Asclepia tuberosa	Orange	June-August	1-2’	Dry to moist	Sun	Host plant for Monarch, others. Deer resistant
Nodding Onion	Allium cernuum	Pale -dark pink	July	1-2’	Dry to moist	Sun	Deer resistant
Purple Coneflower	Echinacea purpurea	Purplish pink	July	3-4’	Moist to dry	Sun to part sun
Swamp Milkweed	Asclepias incarnata	Light – dark pink	July	3-5’	Moist to wet	Sun to part sun	Host plant – Monarch butterfly; deer resistant
Blazing Star	Liatris spicata	Purple	July-August	2-4’	Moist	Sun
Culver’s Root	Veronicastrum virginicum	White	July-August	3-5’	Moist	Sun to part shade
Joe Pye Weed	Eutrochium maculatum; E. fistulosum	Pink	July-August	4-7’	Moist to wet	Sun to part shade	Host plant. Deer resistant
Short-toothed Mountain Mint	Pycnanthemum mutucum	White	July-August	2-3’	Moist	Sun to part shade	Deer resistant
White Turtlehead	Chelone glabra	White	July-August	2-4’	Moist to wet	Sun to part sun
Wild Bergamot	Monarda fistulosa	Pink	July-August	2-4’	Moist to dry	Sun to part sun	Host plant. Deer resistant
Common Boneset	Eupatorium perfoliatum	White	July-September	2-4’	Moist to wet	Sun	Host plant
Cup Plant	Silphium perfoliatum	Yellow	July- September	4-8’	Moist to wet	Sun	Host plant
Fragrant Hyssop	Agastache foeniculum	Blue-violet	July-September	3-5’	Moist to dry	Sun to part sun	Deer resistant
False Sunflower	Heliopsis helianthoides	Yellow	July-September	3-5’	Moist to dry	Sun to part sun
Garden Phlox	Phlox paniculata	Pink/white/ lavender	July-September	2-6’	Moist	Sun to part shade
Goldenrod -Stiff	Solidago rigida	Yellow	July-Sept	3-5’	Dry to moist	Sun to part sun	Host plant. Deer resistant
Great Blue Lobelia	Lobelia siphilitica	Blue	August	1-3’	Moist to wet	Sun to part shade
Cutleaf/ Green-headed Coneflower	Rudbeckia laciniata	Yellow	August-September	3-6’	Moist	Sun to part sun
New England Aster	Symphotrichum novae-angliae	Pink -purple	August-September	2-5’	Moist to wet	Sun to part shade	Host plant
Goldenrod – Zigzag	Solidago flexicaulis	Yellow	August-October	1-3’	Dry to moist	Part shade to shade	Host plant. Deer resistant
New York Ironweed	Vernonia noveboracensis	Magenta	August-October	3-6’	Moist to wet	Sun to part shade
Obedient Plant	Physostegia virginiana	Pink	August-October	2-5’	Moist to wet	Sun to part shade
Mistflower or Hardy Ageratum	Conoclinum coelestinum	Blue	September-October	1-3’	Moist to wet	Sun to part shade	Deer resistant
Vines
Virgin’s Bower (a magnet for daytime species & moths at night)	Clematis virginiana	White	August-September	To 10’	Moist	Sun to part shade	May spread. Deer resistant
Trees and Shrubs
Pussy Willow	Salix discolor	Silvery gray	March	20-35’	Sun	Wet to moist
Serviceberry	Amelanchier canadensis; A. laevis	White	April	6-20’	Sun to part shade	Dry to moist
Highbush Blueberry	Vaccinium corymbosum	White – pink	April-May	6-12’	Sun to shade	Wet to dry, acid
Redbud	Cercis canadensis	Pink – lavender	April-May	20-30’	Sun to part shade	Moist to wet	Deer resistant
Black Cherry	Prunus serotina	White	May-June	50-75’	Sun to part shade	Moist
Sweetbay Magnolia	Magnolia virginiana	Creamy white	May-June	10-20’	Sun to part shade	Moist to wet	Deer resistant
Black Gum	Nyssa sylvatica	Green	June	30-50’	Sun to part shade	Moist to wet	Deer resistant
Tulip Tree	Liriodendron tulipifera	Yellow-green & orange	June	75-100’	Sun to part shade	Moist to average
Basswood	Tilia americana	Pale yellowish	Late June-early July	75-100’	Full sun to light shade	Moist
Buttonbush	Cephalanthus occidentalis	Creamy white	July-August	6-12’	Sun	Wet to moist

How to Help Pollinators

Provide Food

Plant:

¨ A variety of nectar- and pollen-rich native plants. Strive for 8 or more species.

¨ Perennials in clusters, preferably 5 or more of a single species, so plants are easily found.

¨ For a succession of blooms from early spring through late fall.

¨ Natives with different flower shapes for pollinators or varied sizes, shapes, and tongue lengths.

¨ Host plants for butterflies and moths.

Buy plants at local native plant retailers or where sellers identify whether plants are pre-treated with systemic pesticides such as neonicotinoids.

Remove invasive plants so they crowd out natives

Provide nesting and overwintering sites

Leave:

¨ Areas of bare soil in sunny, well-drained spots.

¨ Stumps, logs on the ground, dead branches and trees.

¨ Leaf litter for over-wintering butterflies, moths, beetles and their larvae or pupae

¨ Stems of perennials standing from fall through late winter

Provide artificial nest sites, e.g., a wooden bee block or a bundle of stems or paper straws. Every 2 years replace or clean with a 3:1 water-bleach solution. Click here for more info.

Build a “pollinator condo”. Click here for “how to info” or here for inspirational examples.

Provide water

Add a shallow dish with sloped sides for easy entry and exit

Keep an area of soil moist or muddy for butterflies and other pollinators that forage for minerals and salts in soil

Prevent pesticide poisoning

Don’t use pesticides, but especially avoid neonicotinoids. Click here for a list of common brands containing neonics.

Don’t apply herbicides or fungicides to lawn or beds with nest sites or pollinator plants

Other Ways to Help Pollinators

Make a commitment to protect pollinators by getting your yard certified as a pollinator habitat and posting a sign. See The Xerces Society’s “Bring Back the Pollinators” campaign

Become a citizen scientist to help scientists track pollinator populations, such as by reporting sightings of bumble bees to Bumble Bee Watch or other species to Project Noah

Bloodroot

Sanguinaria canadensis

White

April

6-8”

Dry to moist

Part shade to shade

Golden Ragwort

Packera aurea

Yellow

April-May

1-2’

Moist to wet

Part shade to shade

Host plant. Deer resistant

Jacob’s Ladder

Polemonium reptans

Blue

April-May

8-15”

Moist

Part shade to shade

Deer resistant

Wild Geraniium

Geranium maculatum

Pink – purple

April-May

1-3’

Moist to dry

Part sun to shade

Host plant. Deer resistant

False Solomon’s Seal

Maianthemum racemosum

White-cream

May

12-24”

Moist to dry

Part shade to shade

Smooth Solomon’s Seal

Polygonatum biflorum

White -light yellow

May-June

2-4’

Moist to dry

Part sun

Deer resistant

Wild Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Red

May-June

1-3’

Moist to average

Part sun to shade