It’s not just bees that are dying at an alarming rate – bats, birds, and butterflies have all seen a dramatic reduction in their populations over the past few decades. Habitats have been affected by farming practices, urbanization, and widespread pesticide use. But why should creating a place in your yard to encourage pollinators be important to you?
More than 85 percent of flowering plants require an insect for pollination, which allows for the production of fruit and seed. These fruits and seeds are a part of the diet of about 25 percent of birds and many mammals. Each year pollinators affect $577 billion in global crops including $235 billion here in the United States. Native bees pollinate an estimated 15 percent of the U.S. fruit, nut, vegetable, and field crops. Without pollinators, the world would be less of a feast for the eyes and stomach.
OK so now you want to do your part to help save pollinators. And you like watching birds, so maybe you want to attract more of them to your yard as well. What can you do? Create a bird and pollinator habitat of course. That sounds like a lot of work – and it can be if you get super crazy about it. The good news is that your yard probably already provides some of the necessities needed to attract pollinators and birds – you just need to beef it up a little. That sounds pretty doable doesn’t it? Here are four components needed for a successful bee, bird, and butterfly habitat. Add a little or lot…just remember, every little bit helps.
1. Food – Bees need both pollen and nectar while hummingbirds and butterflies seek only nectar. Providing a variety of flowers will attract a diverse array of pollinator species. Bees and butterflies are attracted to flat, open blooms with big petals for easy landing and to blooms with short nectar tubes. Color plays an important factor in helping pollinators to find food. Bees can easily see white, yellow, blue, and purple flowers. Butterflies and birds flock to red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple blooms.
Native insects have special relationships with native plants from their regions. Some native pollinators aren’t picky, but others will only feed on native plants that they have come to know. In order to provide a consistent food source, stagger bloom times through the year and provide flowers that bloom for long periods. Plant in larger groups – 3-5 plants instead of singles – so pollinators can forage without expending a lot of energy.
Native trees such as oaks, willows, birches, and maples as well as native herbaceous plants such as goldenrod, milkweed, and sunflowers host many caterpillar species that are a vital source of protein for birds, especially during breeding season. Many shrubs and small trees provide berries that ripen at different times, so include a seasonal variety: serviceberry and cherry for birds during the breeding season and summer; dogwood and spicebush for songbirds flying south; cedar and holly trees to sustain birds through cold winter days and nights. Trees such as oaks, hickories, and walnuts provide fat and protein rich food that birds hide or cache to provide food through the cold winter. Native sunflowers, asters, and coneflowers produce loads of tiny seeds that are finch and sparrow favorites. Red tubular flowers such as native columbine, penstemon, and lobelia serve up nectar for hummingbirds. Flowers in the aster family, such as coneflowers, asters, and joe pye weed provide seeds for birds and are also very attractive to pollinators.
Need some help with plants? Ohio State University and The Xerces Society have some great info on pollinators and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is a great resource for attracting birds.
2. Water – Birds, bees, and butterflies all need water. Bees use water to stay cool, control the humidity of the colony, dilute stored honey that has crystallized, and aid digestion. Provide a shallow and wide source of fresh water such as a frisbee or a birdbath. Place corks, rocks or twigs in the water so they have a place to get close and not drown. Birds need water to drink as well as bathe. Like bees, they prefer a shallow water source. Butterflies don’t need to drink water like bees or birds. Instead they need places for “puddling” which provides butterflies with critical minerals. Bury a shallow plate or bowl in the ground and fill it with damp sand and a few rocks for landing spots.
3. Shelter – There are two ways to provide shelter for birds and pollinators. The first is to provide boxes or houses. Searching the internet for insect boxes, you can find a wide array of pre-made homes for bees and butterflies. If you prefer a more natural solution, leave a few dead trees standing (for wood-nesting bees) or leave some bare soil (for ground-nesting bees). On cool, cloudy or rainy days, butterflies prefer to seek shelter…providing a small log pile somewhere on the property will do just that. For warm sunny days, provide a flat rock in the garden for them to rest and sun themselves. Natural shelters for birds include both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs as well as long ornamental grasses, and dead, hollow trees. An additional perk to providing natural shelters for birds is that these shelters are often food sources for them as well.
Bee Nesting Box
Butterfly House
4. Nesting – Providing shelter for bees and birds also provides them with a nesting site to raise their young. Most native bees are solitary and lay eggs in tiny tunnels in dead trees, fallen branches, hollow stems or in sandy soil. Leave standing dead trees, fallen logs, and bare patches of sandy soil or install a bee house filled with nesting tubes. Butterflies, on the other hand, do not use their shelter sites to raise their young. They lay their eggs on plants that will double as a food source for their larvae. These are typically called host plants. Although butterflies may feed on a variety of nectar plants, the caterpillars of each species have specific host plants. For instance, milkweed is the only host plant for monarch caterpillars (native stands of milkweed are fast disappearing and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is in the process of assessing whether monarchs should be protected under the Endangered Species Act). Occasionally, butterflies will pupate (the process of changing from a caterpillar to a butterfly) on their food plant, but often they move to another sheltered location or in the leaf litter to pupate. Keep in mind that host plants are there to be eaten, so be sure to place them where unsightly leaf damage can be tolerated.
The North American Butterfly Association has a good list of caterpillar and nectar plants for Ohio butterflies.
A word about pesticides. Most insecticides such as malathion, sevin, and diazinon are marketed to kill insects. Try to eliminate pesticides whenever possible. Attract ladybugs, predatory wasps, and other natural enemies of garden pests. Native plants attract these beneficial pest predators. These insects are a sign of a healthy garden and are an important food source for birds. If you must spray, use only organic or natural pest deterrents such as soap, garlic, and chili pepper. Spray only at night when flowers are not blooming and when it’s dry and windless. Use products that target specific pests rather than broad-spectrum ones. Avoid anything labeled as toxic to bees or that kills “weedy” flowers pollinators visit. Specifically, avoid garden products that include neonicotinoids. And above all – follow the application instructions and use sparingly.
Feeling a little overwhelmed with information overload? Not sure how to make a pollinator or bird garden fit in with your style and maintenance needs? Give us a call! We have a designer on staff who is passionate about these types of gardens and loves to share her knowledge with others (she wrote this blog after all).