Honey Bees and Other Pollinators Need Our Help

Tri-Colored Bumble Bee (Bombus-ternarius) on Dandelion

 As spring blooms have come out, so too has more news about the dire situation of the earth's pollinators. To find out more I attended a pollinator workshop, held at Carter Hill Orchard in Concord and organized by the Merrimack County Conservation District. The owners of Carter Hill Orchard, the Larocque family, have set aside a plot of land that will be turned into a pollinator habitat, offering blooms, and a food source for pollinators throughout the growing season, and not just in the spring when the apple trees are in bloom. The Larocque's recognize the importance of helping honey bees and other pollinators as their livelihood depends upon there being a healthy pollinator population for years to come.

There were plenty of blooms at Carter Hill Orchard on May 13, the day of the Pollinator Workshop

The workshop speaker was pollinator expert from the Xerces Society, Eric Mader. He identified three requirements for the survival of wild bees - pollen and nectar sources, availability of nesting habitat and protection from pesticides. Fortunately, these are three areas that we as individuals can address. Home gardeners love plants, be it vegetables or flowers. So as you peruse the nursery in search of what to plant this year, select plants that have varying bloom times. This will not only beautify your garden throughout the year, but you will ensure an adequate food source for pollinators from spring into fall. At Carter Hill, they are dedicating a plot of land next to their apple trees and blueberry bushes to be a future pollinator garden. The participants of the workshop were able to go outside and view the site where the project will be developed later this year. Examples of plants that are adaptable to New England climate were available. When shopping, try to purchase native when available.

Eric Mader describes how to create a pollinator habitat

Starting with bare soil is important so that the new plants and seeds have an opportunity to take hold without competition from grasses. At home, this can be done by either turning the soil over, or an easier way, although it takes more time is to cover the desired area with a thick layering of newspapers, then mulch heavily. By the following year, the area should be ready for planting.

Bees and butterflies also need areas where they can lay their eggs and have a food source readily available during all stages of life and which can also provide wintering habitat for those insects that don't migrate. The easiest way to help out in this regard is to leave undisturbed certain areas of your yard, such as along forest edges and stone walls. Dead leaves, logs, and sandy soils are all good habitat areas. You can also make or purchase bee houses, but these are not preferred over natural habitats.

Spring Ledge Farm in New London promotes pollinator habitat in more ways than selling flowers

Finally, it is important to keep your yard pesticide free. The adverse impacts on pollinators is becoming increasingly clear, and even organic options may not be a better as far as pollinators are concerned.

Even though honey bees declined 40% over the past year, and monarch numbers have declined by about 90% over the past 20 years, I am hopeful that with the increased attention being paid to these declining numbers by policy-makers and the media, that we will be able to reverse this trend. If you are interested in taking steps to protect pollinators consider signing the "Pollinator Protection Pledge" from the Xerces Society and make your yard a pollinator friendly habitat.