Who are the Pollinators?
A pollinator is an animal that carries pollen from the male part of the flower (stamen) to the female part of the same or another flower (stigma). Pollination must occur for plants to become fertilized and produce fruits, seeds and young plants.
Pollinators include hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, spiders, beetles, wasps, moths, flies and bats.
Pollinators are responsible for 1 of every 3 bites of food we eat.
Pollinators are also food sources for other vital wildlife. Caterpillars, ladybugs and insects are important sources of nourishment for birds, bats and other larger pollinators.
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Native Pollinators
Many of the pollinators featured here are native to the Pacific Northwest. Native pollinators are insects and animals that have evolved over time alongside plants native to a specific region. The harmony of this relationship is important because some plants are extremely picky about who pollinates them. Native pollinators do their best work with the habitats and food sources provided by native plants.
Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden
When designing and planting your pollinator garden, choose a variety of plants so that you will have blooms from spring until fall. Install native plants whenever possible and avoid using pesticides.
Follow the steps outlined in our guide to planting your pollinator garden.
Enjoy this podcast from Joe Lamp’l (aka Joe Gardener) on how to attract pollinators of native plants.
Overwintering
Where do pollinators go in the winter? Certain birds and butterflies will migrate to a warmer climate, but most pollinators prefer to stay put. And just like bears, many pollinators hibernate through the winter. How can you help them have an undisturbed rest? Read this informative article from the Xerces Society.
Dangers to Pollinators
Pollinators, like many animal species, suffer from habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation due to urban development.
Practices such as monocrop agriculture and pesticide use decrease the amount of healthy habitat available to pollinators.
The effects of climate change and the mismatch of bloom time, as well as home gardener pesticide use are all harmful to pollinator species. Read more.