Designing pollinator habitat

A summary of, Attracting Native Pollinators, a guide published by the Xerces Society.

Part 3 of 4

When designing a pollinator friendly landscape there are a few common basic needs. Maintain open unshaded areas. Pollinators like the sun. Many trees are good for pollinators but they should be placed where they wont shade the pollinator garden. Have a diversity of flower species that bloom throughout the year. Early spring and late fall are the most important times to have blooms. Some plants like witchhazel even bloom and winter and are a needed resource for insects out on a warm winter day. Design the pollinator garden with large blocks of color. Insects fling by will be called in to large areas of blooms. Foraging and pollination is easier for pollinators when they do not have to travel far between blooms.

"Native plants are four times more likely than nonnative plants to attract native bees, and native plant genera support three times as many species of butterflies and moths as introduced plants do."

Design flower beds so something is blooming at all times. Native bees typically forage in an area from 500ft to a half mile. Placing pollinator plantings within 500ft of each other and nesting sites ensures that all bees can find the resources they need.

Pollinators find it easier to locate and forage on large (3' or larger) groupings of their preferred plant. When flowers are close together a bee uses less energy flying between blooms and is more efficient at pollinating and foraging. To have a high diversity of pollinators a high diversity of flowers must be present. Flower blooms should occur constantly throughout the year when insects are active. Different pollinators are suited to different types of flower structures. Some flowers have large landing pads for uncoordinated insects to land. Some flowers require a pollinator to hover while sticking it's long tongue down to the bottom of an equally long tube. Some flowers must be pried open by a strong bumble bee.

Create an ecolawn by allowing a rich diversity of low growing flowers to bloom. Sedges, violets, clover, self heal, yarrow, poppy mallow, etc can enrich a lawn that is mowed high and infrequently. To protect pollinators when mowing; use a flushing bar and mow at a slow speed and increased height to allow pollinators a chance to flee, avoid mowing at night and times when pollinators are active, and allow time between mowing for populations to recover.