Caring For Garden Pollinators A Pollinator Summer

By Dani Carroll

The cheery assortment of spring blooms at local nurseries lures us in as we start spending more time in our landscapes. We are all busy adding new plants, replacing damaged ones and creating new spaces. It is still spring, but summer heat will arrive quickly.

As we tend our gardens, let’s not forget about pollinators. Even during the hot days of summer, these critters are hard at work. It’s up to gardeners to make sure these pollinators have what they need to do their jobs.

There are several ways to ensure pollinators are active in a growing space. By observing a garden or flowerbed for a short period of time, people can determine whether pollinators are — or are not — present.

Gardeners often forget different pollinators are present at different times through the year. Pollinators do not feed on the same thing repetitively and prefer an assortment of foods. Incorporating a variety of flowers and herbs can provide pollinators options to keep them coming back to the garden for more.

Honeybees are the most familiar pollinator, but there are other native species that gardens can attract. Thousands of pollinators regularly contribute to garden pollination. Squash bees, sweat bees, leaf cutter bees, bats and butterflies play a small role in the fruitfulness of productive gardens. Many native bees, aside from honeybees and bumblebees, can pollinate plants that require assistance to bear fruit.

While some plants, such as squash of the cucurbit family, are totally dependent on pollinators, there are also self-pollinated plants, such as tomatoes. Each benefit from pollinator activity. The buzzing vibration helps shake pollen loose for tomatoes, while cucurbits rely on the services of a pollinator to carry pollen and bear fruit.

Pollinators are like humans and all other living creatures. They need three major resources to thrive: food, water and shelter.

A bird bath or shallow pan filled with water will work well to provide bees water. Add a few rocks to provide a landing pad for the bees and butterflies to perch on. Change the water a couple times per week to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

One of the larger aspects to carefully consider is when to use pest suppressants. Monitoring plants is an easy way to determine a good time for application. When flowers are open and pollinators are out, refrain from using pest suppressants. Pollinators are generally inactive at night, making it a good time to apply organic or synthetic chemicals.

If aphids show up in the garden, native beneficial insects will likely take care of the problem. With pests like the tomato hornworm, simply picking the worm off the plant is an easy and effective way to protect the crop.