- Kathleen Scavone
- Posted On
The Living Landscape: Precious pollinators
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Any place that you can think of is a potential home for an insect – in woods and water, at the desert and on a tropical island.
In North America alone there are around 100,000 species of insects. Mother Nature is fortunate to employ many birds and insects to aid in pollinating her plants.
Taking just a few minutes to observe a pollinator in action, one becomes compelled to watch and learn more about the lives of the little creatures.
Like bird-watching, observing pollinators such as butterflies and bees is fascinating fun. The many and varied insects and animals that pollinate plants are vital to both the ecosystems in which they reside and for all of humankind since they are essential in agriculture.
Pollinators, unfortunately, have been in crisis mode for at least a decade here in our country.
Beekeepers have noted major losses in hive production for a variety of reasons. Bees and other pollinators need plenty of blossoms, so you can aid them by planting a variety of blooms in succession so that there is almost always something blooming throughout the season.
Steer clear of harsh chemicals while gardening, and opt, instead, for an organic garden which employs companion planting.
Pollinators include wasps, ants, flies, hummingbirds, bats, moths and butterflies, to name a few. These useful critters budge pollen on flowers when they visit the plant for its pollen or nectar.
According to Birds and the Bees 101, pollen travels from the plant's male anther to the stigma, which is female, when fertilization of the ovules occurs.
Butterflies and moths, like bees, come in all shapes and sizes. One way butterflies can be distinguished from moths is through their antennae.
While butterflies have a more simple-looking antennae structure, a moth's antennae are feathery in looks. Both creatures have scales all over their wings and bodies. Another distinguishing fact is that moths usually fly at night.
Mother Nature has many creative means of attracting pollinators. Pollinators are attracted to various color patterns in plants, their scents, and even a feature called a nectar guide which can be spotted via ultraviolet light.
Bees, among the most well-known of the pollinators, hold onto their cargo of pollen by their scopa, or the pollen-holders located on their hind legs.
Honey bees, as well as bumblebees have an enhanced version of the pollen-holder, known as its corbicula or pollen-basket.
These industrious creatures can also carry pollen because of a built-in electrostatic charge!
For more information on encouraging pollinators in your garden:
http://cagardenweb.ucanr.edu/General/Encouraging_Native_Bees_-_Other_Pollinators/ or https://www.fws.gov/pollinators/pollinatorpages/yourhelp.html.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also formerly wrote for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.