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Smart Gardening for PollinatorsAbi Saeed
MSU ExtensionMaster Gardener College (2016)
North American Honey bees have European Origin
Brought by early colonists in the early 1600s
4000 species of wild native bees alsoprovide pollination services in the USA!
Besides managed honey bees…
…and nearly 450 species recorded in Michigan
Bumble bees (Apidae) Mason bees, leafcutter bees (Megachilidae)
Sweat Bees (Halictidae) Mining bees (Andrenidae)
Types of Wild Bees
Types of Wild BeesBumble bees (Apidae)
Types of Wild Bees
Carpenter bees (Apidae)
Types of Wild BeesMason bees, leafcutter bees, digger bees (Megachilidae)
Types of Wild BeesSweat Bees (Halictidae)
Types of Wild Bees
Mining bees (Andrenidae)
Pollination is Beneficial to the Insect and the Plant
The Insect gets food
The plant increases probability of successful reproduction
Flowers have changed their anatomy to make it easy for pollen to be picked up and moved!!
Flowers like to cater to their PollinatorsSince bees can see certain colors better than others (including UV), bee-pollinated flowers often have UV markings
Flowers that like to cater to beetles and flies are shallower, allowing these insects to get to the nectar/pollen more easily
Some are generalists
Some are extremely specialized!
Very specific relationship between two organisms
Plants sometimes ‘trick’ these insects into visiting them!
The Mystery of Darwin’s Star Orchid
Darwin’s Hawk Moth!
A Beautiful Partnership!
80% of Plant Species Depend on Animals for Pollination
Bees are the MOST IMPORTANT Pollinators!
Bees are Pollen Specialists!
Branched hairs!
Why should we care?Pollination services to U.S. Agriculture is valued at$20 billion/year
U. S. grows 100 crops dependent on pollination
Your produce selection without bees:
Produce selection with bees Produce selection without bees
Several other groups of insects!Besides bees…
Birds, Mammals, Reptiles!Besides insects…
with bees without bees
Wildlife!Bees support native plant communities that provide food for wildlife (birds, mammals, etc.)
The beauty in our gardens!
Management practices
Why are ALL bees declining?
Why are ALL bees declining?Habitat loss!
What do bees need?• Low chemical input• Food• Nesting Habitat
What do bees need?• Low chemical input• Food• Nesting Habitat
70% of Pesticide use is for Aesthetic Reasons
99% of “bugs” in your garden are BENEFICIAL
Safeguard bees when using insecticides
• Follow label precautions• DON’T overspray plants in bloom • Mow or prune off oversprayed blooms• Choose products that are relatively
non-hazardous to bees
New EPA Bee Advisory Box
Safeguard bees when using insecticides
• Follow label precautions• DON’T overspray plants in bloom • Mow or prune off oversprayed blooms• Choose products that are relatively
non-hazardous to bees
What Can You Do to Help Pollinators?
Do NOT spray flowers in bloom, and avoid pesticide drift to adjacent plants
Read and follow label directions
Sprays versus granular applications
No adverse effects
Larson et al. (2013)
Safeguard bees when using insecticides
• Follow label precautions• DON’T overspray plants in bloom • Mow or prune off oversprayed blooms• Choose products that are relatively
non-hazardous to bees
If using systemic insecticides, common sense practices can greatly reduce hazard:
Prune (e.g., boxwoods)to remove blooms after spraying with insecticides
Wait until after bloom if treating for scales, leafminers, lace bugs
If using systemic insecticides, common sense practices can greatly reduce hazard:
Mow (e.g., lawns)to remove flower heads from lawn weeds
(eg., clover, dandelion, etc.)
Safeguard bees when using insecticides
• Follow label precautions• DON’T overspray plants in bloom • Mow or prune off oversprayed blooms• Choose products that are relatively
non-hazardous to bees
What Can You Do to Help Pollinators?
Choose “green” insecticides if spraying to control pests on or around flowering plants
Read and follow label directions
What Can You Do to Help Pollinators?
Know WHEN to spray, and if it will be worth the risk to bees. Can the situation be managed in other ways?
What do bees need?• Low chemical input• Food• Nesting Habitat
What do wild bees need?
Nest sitesUndisturbed soil
Access to that soilOld stems
Soft leavesRodent burrows
Compost pilesConstructed nests
Non-toxic nest material
Floral resources
What do wild bees need?
Nest sitesUndisturbed soil
Access to that soilOld stems
Soft leavesRodent burrows
Compost pilesConstructed nests
Non-toxic nest material
Floral resourcesDiversity of plant species A range of flower types
Accessible pollen & nectarContinuous resourcesNon-toxic forage
What do bees need?• Low chemical input• Food• Nesting Habitat
More ways to help bees:Provide Resources:Diversity of plant species with succession of bloom from early spring through fall
Diversity of Plants = Diversity of Bees!
Food: All Season Long!
http://nativeplants.msu.edu/uploads/files/E2973.pdf
Does it have to be native plants and/or wildflowers??
NO!
Plants for Pollinators -Tip of the iceberg!!
• Listed here---just few
• Experiment!!• Mix and match!• Keep a log or
photo journal.• Don’t take lists
as “gospel”
They see things we don’t-UV!!Since bees can see certain colors better than others (including UV), bee-pollinated flowers often have UV markings
Sequence-time of bloom
– Early Show– Prime time– Late Show– Credits?
Sequence-time of bloom
• Look for plants that have a long bloom span or that re-bloom– Nepeta (Catmint)– Heuchera (Coral
bells, new cultivars)
Sequence-time of bloom• Plants that bloom
very early or very late to extend the season– EARLY-Phlox
divaricata (Shown here)
– LATE-‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum
Early Season
Crabapple
Cornelian Cherry
Redbud Serviceberry
False Indigo
Winter King Hawthorn
Foster’s Holly
Flowering Cherry
American Yellowwood
Prime Time
• This is when gardens swing into bloom. So many species of trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials gear up for a brilliant debut during early to mid summer!!
Mid-Season
Bottlebrush Buckeye
Climbing Prairie Rose
Clethra
Pee Gee Hydrangea
St. John’s Wort
Winterberry Holly
Golden Raintree
Amur Maackia
Virginia Spiraea
Linden
Late Season
Bee Bee Tree
Winged Sumac
Abelia
Seven-Son Flower
Chaste Tree
Devil’s Walking Stick
Early Season and Late Season
Especially Important!Limited resources
available
But:Some plants are NOT AS GOOD as others!
Think about getting a plant that you think looks pretty, but also can be useful for Pollinators!
Azalea
Roses
What they may not like
• Non-native selections of certain plants
• Double blooms (ie dahlias or peonies)
• Impatiens walleriana• Marigold (doubles)• Petunia
What do bees need?• Low chemical input• Food• Nesting Habitat
If you were a pollinator…
“Ideal” home lawn in the USA
Dense, green, monoculture
Lawns in the USA …
Lawns in the USA…
37 species of bees, including several rare and declining native bumble bees, foraging on lawn weeds
- Larson & Potter, Journal of Insect Conservation (2014)
Lawn weeds help to sustain urban bee populations These patches act as stepping stones between remnants of natural habitat
What Can You Do to Help Bees?
What level of lawn “excellence” are able to accept/maintain/overlook?
If you were a pollinator…
What Can You Do to Help Bees?Provide nesting sites
Leave some areas mulch-free!
What Can You Do to Help Bees?
Blue orchard bee
Provide nesting structures
Create a Pollinator Patch!
Devote a small space in your yard as ‘designated bee habitat’!
‘MULLET’ GARDENS“Business in the front, Party in the Back!”
Where to get more Information?
SMART PLANTS FOR POLLINATORS
SMART HABITAT FOR POLLINATORS
SMART LAWNS FOR POLLINATORS
Thank You!!
