Food, sex and survival. That’s what this column is about. No, it’s not a reality show

starring your neighbors. It’s about what’s happening in your own yard. Right under your nose.

Step out your door today and you’ll hear a purposeful buzzing sound. Stand still and take it all

in. You’ll start to see movement all around you as industrious bees, flies, beetles,

hummingbirds, butterflies and a huge assortment of insects and birds beat the bushes (sorry, I

couldn’t resist a good pun!) for food. As they search for high energy nectar, their bodies get

dusted with pollen. Moving from flower to flower, they fertilize the plants as an afterthought.

It’s this fertilization that allows plants to fruit, create seeds and reproduce. Berries for

breakfast, anyone?

Creatures that carry pollen from plant to plant are known as pollinators. Bees seem to

be the poster children for pollinators being very efficient in their pollen dispersal and having

lots of relatives, but there are an amazing 100,000+ invertebrates that are part of the pollinator

party. And that doesn’t even include the myriads of mammals, birds and other animals that get

into the act.

“Why should I care?” you might be thinking as you’re sipping your coffee. Put down that

mug right this minute and stop chewing on that massive almond croissant for a moment.

Without pollinators, there would be no coffee beans. Without pollinators, the wheat for that

yummy croissant won’t be happening. And don’t get me started on almond trees. It’s estimated

that pollinators contribute to one out of every three bites of food we take. Unless we support

our pollinators, we will be a very hungry nation.

I hope I’ve scared you enough to now be sipping that coffee with a renewed interest in

caring for pollinators right in your yard. It’s not difficult. Just tweak some habits. Start by

planting more natives. Pollinators and native plants are BFFs and have hammered out a deal.

Natives provide food and homes for their besties and the pollinators return the favor by

assuring native survival through regrowth. Don’t you just love a happy ending?

Put out the welcome mat for our pollinator friends. Provide water for them. Fill a

shallow dish or birdbath with water and add some gravel so they have a place to alight. If you

want to give special VIP treatment to your butterflies, mix sand and compost in a pan with

some water to create mud. These lovely ladies will drink the water and extract minerals from

the mud. It’s their spa day.

Pollinators are not so different from us in their need for food and homes and ports in a

storm. Include host plants like milkweed for the Monarchs. Build your very own maternity ward

by leaving hollow stems in the fall for the pollinators to lay eggs in. Leave a patch of earth

unmulched for the ground nesting insects. And when that storm rolls in with wind and rain and

you’re snuggled by the fire sipping a hot toddy, you can rest comfortably knowing you have

some dense shrubs or patches of wildflowers or a brush pile for them to shelter in.

Our goal here is to make our spaces as pollinator friendly as we can. The benefits are

enormous. 75% of all flowering plants are pollinated by insects or animals. Those plants clean

our air, give us oxygen, feed us and our wildlife and stabilize our soil. They drive our healthy

economy. So here’s the thing: you want insects in your yard. They are a sign of a healthy

garden, a healthy earth.

Avoid pesticides and herbicides. Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticide

and they are very toxic to pollinators. They are designed to spread throughout the plant’s

tissues so that even pollinators that eat the leaves or the nectar are sickened or killed. These

chemicals persist in the environment from months to years and they’re water soluble, putting

aquatic life at risk.

By now you’re on your second cup of coffee and you’re wondering what your options

are if you don’t use pesticides. Here are some better solutions: hand pick pests or use natural

pest deterrents such as soap (not detergent) or chili pepper. Invite natural enemies by planting

native plants that attract them. Try for the least toxic product to meet the need. And maybe,

just maybe, you can take a deep breath and learn to accept a few nibbled leaves in your garden.

It’s just your friendly neighborhood pollinators come to call.

More info on attracting pollinators:

Say “hello” to Walsh’s Digger Bee (Anthophora walshii). He calls Cape Cod his home,

preferring coastal habitats and sandy soil. He is ground nesting and feasts on yellow wild indigo,

orange milkweed and goldenrod. Tell him I said “thanks” for all his efforts on our behalf.

______

Diane finds magic in her days, or maybe magic just finds her. Either way, she enjoys digging in dirt, talking to plants and writing. She is a Master Gardener and the current Conservation Chair of the Garden Club of Harwich. She’s written for PrimeTime Cape Cod and The Burlington Free Press (VT). She has been published on CapeWomenOnline and her flash fiction has been published on EverydayFiction.com.