What is a pollinator and how to attract them

A pollinator is an insect which transfers pollen for one flower bloom to another, allowing fertilization to occur and fruit or a seed to develop. Pollinators include bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, and bats.

Plants need help moving pollen from one plant to another. Colorful blooming flowers attract pollinators to land on the blooms and pick up nectar and pollen for food. In the process, some pollen sticks to their bodies and is then deposited on the next bloom that the pollinator visits.

Green And Growing

By Linda G. Tenneson

Pollen contains protein, fat, starch, vitamins and minerals. Nectar is a source of water and sugar. Ants are frequently found on peony blooms collecting nectar. Bees mix nectar and pollen to make the bee bread used to feed their larvae.

Some bees can see ultraviolet light which humans cannot. They can see stripes, spots or other indicators which direct them to blooms containing the nectar they are looking for. Bees, moths and butterflies are attracted to flowers with a pleasant odor, while flies are attracted to flowers with an unpleasant odor.

Wasps visit flowers where they can reach nectar with their shorter tongues. Beetles also visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen. In the process they may chew the blooms and leaves. Butterflies and moths have longer tongues, or proboscis and use them to suck up nectar. Flies have shorter tongues or mouthparts which restricts them to flower blooms accessible to them.

The source for the information in this column is the book Pollinators of Native Plants written by Heather Holm. She describes the insects in detail and lists the blooming time, size, range, and desired growing conditions for many plants found in Minnesota. Also included are photographs of pollinators and the plants they visit.

Linda G. Tenneson is a University of Minnesota master gardener and tree care advisor. v

Calendar of Events

March 20 — Starting a Mobile Food Business: Working with a Shared-Use Kitchen — Online — Learn how using a shared-use kitchen can help your food business get started. Contact Jessica Jane Spayde at spayde@wisc.edu.

April 1 — Gardening in the Driftless — Houston, Minn. — The annual Spring Days event will include morning and afternoon keynote speakers as well as a variety of breakout sessions taught by local experts. Attendees will also have the opportunity to visit vendor booths, bid on silent auction items and shop at the country store. Contact Houston County Extension at (507) 725-5807.

Please read attached email

ALREADY ON AD THE LAND 3.417 x2”

March 21 — Garden Gala — Litchfield, Minn. — Learn from experts about a wide variety of gardening topics. There will also be vendors offering a wide array of services. Contact Meeker County Extension office at (320) 693-5275.

March 24 — Windbreaks/Living Snow Fences –Designs and What to Plant — Online — Join University of Minnesota Extension foresters to discuss a key issue facing woodland owners in Minnesota. Contact Gary Wyatt at wyatt@umn.edu.

March 25 — Spring Horticulture Day — Little Falls, Minn. — This event will cover a variety of horticulture topics including building soil health, new perennials and annuals for 2023, and pruning trees and shrubs. Contact the Morrison County Extension Office at (320) 632-0161.

The Land

The shape of flower blooms may restrict which pollinators are able to land and collect nectar and pollen. A bloom with a long narrow shape is only accessible to insects with long tongues. Blooms which hang downward are visited by small bees that can hang onto them. Flowers such as the bottle gentian have blooms with closed petals. Only the Bumble bee has been observed forcing its way into a bloom to reach the nectar. In two to ten seconds, it can force its way in and emerge from the bloom with the petals closing again. Bumble bees with shorter tongues may have to chew holes through the lower petals to reach the nectar in this plant’s blooms. Bees have a spoon shaped tongue that ranges from 2 to 14 millimeters in length that they can use to lap up or drink nectar. Bees can swallow nectar or store it until they return to their hives. Pollen that sticks to their bodies can be combed off and used when the bee reaches its home.

Hummingbirds and hummingbird moths can hover while harvesting nectar.

March 27 — Getting Your Product on Shelves at Your Local Food Coop — Online — Learn about how to sell your food products at your local food retail cooperative. Contact Jessica Jane Spayde at spayde@ wisc.edu.

March 28 — I-29 Moo University Dairy Beef Short Course — Sioux Falls, S.D. — This course is scheduled as part of the pre-educational events for the Central Plains Dairy Expo. Contact Fred Hall at fredhall@iastate.edu or (712) 737-4230.

March 31 — Foraging for Wild Edibles — Online — Join University of Minnesota Extension foresters to discuss woodland topics. Contact Gary Wyatt at wyatt@umn.edu.

April 1 — Gardening Education Day — Hutchinson, Minn. — The day will include guest speakers, vendors, a silent auction, door prizes, and access to horticultural resources. Contact the McLeod County Extension office at (320) 484-4302.

April 3 — Getting to Know Your Local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) — Online — Learn about how to work with your local SBDC. Contact Jessica Jane Spayde at spayde@wisc.edu.

April 10 — Navigating Business Resources with the Help of Your Local Business Incubator — Online — Learn about how local business incubators can help your food business navigate business resources. Contact Jessica Jane Spayde at spayde@ wisc.edu.

April 11-13 — Dairy Calf & Heifer Association Annual Conference — Prior Lake, Minn. — The conference will include three speakers, Ross Bernstein, Dave Kuehnel, and Peggy Coffeen. There will also be a trade show with approximately 50 companies highlighting their calf and heifer products. Visit their website for more information at calfandheifer.org.

April 11-13 — PEAK 2023 — Minneapolis, Minn. — Formerly called the Midwest Poultry Federation Convention, PEAK is the nation’s largest trade show and convention in North America focused exclusively on the business and food production of poultry. Contact Lara Durben at ldurben@midwestpoultry. com or (763) 284-6763.

April 12 — Women’s Ag Leadership Conference — Chaska, Minn. — The conference will begin with a welcome session, followed by roundtable discussions. There will also be mini-sessions focused on current topics, two breakout sessions, and an optional historic Red Barn self-guided tour. Contact Doris Mold at doris@sunriseag.net or (612) 414-7574.

April 14 — Things to Think about when Planning a Timber Sale — Online — Join University of Minnesota Extension foresters to discuss a key issue facing woodland owners in Minnesota. Contact Gary Wyatt at wyatt@umn.edu.