Pollinators Under Threat
Pollinator Week 2020
Without pollinators and other insects, life as we know it would cease to exist. Learn how pollinators are under threat.
Pollinators
Flowers That Attract Pollinators and Robbers to a Garden
The shape, color, structure and odor of a flower usually determine the type of pollinators it attracts. A flower requires a pollinator that will visit it regularly and successfully transfer pollen in and/or between it and other flowers of its species to ensure fruit and seed production. For the service of pollination, the flower provides a reward: usually food such as nectar and/or pollen. Thus plants and their pollinators enjoy a mutualistic relationship.
BEE-havior: The “Bubble” Bee – Hylaeus
At a mere ¼-inch long, Hylaeus bees do not dominate a flower like fuzzy bumble bees three to six times their size. However, if you have sharp eyes or a zoom camera lens you can appreciate their unique appearance and BEE-havior.
The Perils of Pollinia and More about Milkweed
Imagine being a pollinator drawn to a fragrant flower that offers abundant nectar . . . It's Pollinator Week!
Happy Pollinator Week 2020!
Pollinator Week 2020: Happy Pollinator Week!
Join the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia in observing this week, June 22–28, 2020, by learning more about some of the insects, birds, bats and other small mammals that pollinate at least 80 percent of our flowering plants and about 33 percent of our food crops as well as what you can do to sustain pollinators.
Nature is a Respite during Disconcerting Times, Part II
Spring is a season of hope and renewal and yet we find ourselves battling together, in isolation, an unseen enemy–coronavirus or COVID-19. Staying home, does not necessarily mean staying indoors and physically distancing ourselves from one another does not mean distancing ourselves from nature.
Nature is a Respite during Disconcerting Times, Part I
Spring is a season of hope and renewal and yet we find ourselves battling together, in isolation, an unseen enemy–coronavirus or COVID-19. Staying home, does not necessarily mean staying indoors and physically distancing ourselves from one another does not mean distancing ourselves from nature.
Great Long-Blooming Plants for Pollinators
A 2013 plant trial conducted by Penn State Extension, Bees, Bugs & Blooms, ranked three species native to our Mid-Atlantic region as among the best plants for flowering longevity, and in attracting desirable insects. An additional benefit is that deer dislike all three plants. Learn more . . .
The Glencarlyn Pollinator Garden and the Importance of Pollinators
Support pollinators in your own back yard—it's easy. To help guide your plant choices, stop by the patio area at Glencarlyn Library Community Garden to check out our newly revamped pollinator garden.
Insects Make My Food and . . .
Recent studies are documenting dramatic declines in the number and diversity of insects around the world. Entomologists, ecologists, and other scientists are expressing shock at the speed and scope of these losses, and they are pointing to these steep declines as a sign of broader ecosystem collapse.
I See Differently Now
In 2008, I attended a lecture by Dr. Douglas Tallamy about how suburban gardeners can make a significant positive impact on our environment by using native plants. His talk was full of fascinating facts and examples. It spoke to my long-held concern for the problems facing the natural world , and gave me hope that I could actually make a difference just by how I gardened – something I loved doing.
Small Space Gardening for Pollinators
Homeowners with small yards or apartment dwellers with balconies may wonder what role they can play in supporting pollinators. The good news is that by selecting smaller sizes of woody plants and making creative use of containers, gardeners with limited space can enjoy appealing landscapes that attract a wide variety of these creatures.
the Caterpillar and the exoSkeleton – a Halloween Video
Oooh - Happy Halloween! These creepy crawly caterpillars eat their own skins!
Tongue under Chin
To end Pollinator Week we bring you a tongue-under-chin story. In this short video, a queen Bombus impatiens (common eastern bumble bee) rests on the petals of a hydrangea.
Pollinator Protection Vital to Urban Agriculture
Besides showcasing a number of Virginia Tech resources, the Pollinator Protection Vital to Urban Agriculture poster, created for Pollinator Week 2017, lists eleven Best Management Practices for Pollinators in Northern Virginia.
Five Annuals for a Pollinator Garden
Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds gravitate to gardens that bloom throughout the growing season and that contain an abundance of the same plant species as well as a diversity of species of like colors arranged together. Annuals, with their extended bloom period, ensure a continual nectar source for pollinators when perennials have yet to flower or are in decline.
Five Things You Didn’t Know About . . . Annuals
Unlike perennials, which live for more than two years, annual plants sprout, bloom, produce seeds, and die in a single growing season. If the garden was a stage, perennials would be the leads and annuals would be supporting performers.
For Your Pollinator Garden
Do you want to create or add to a pollinator garden? Do you look at lists of plants that claim to be superior at attracting pollinators, then wonder which ones really perform best?
If you wish to target bees, then consider native Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot).
Can You Identify These Pollinators? Part 3: Hummingbirds
Sometimes moth species, like the white-lined sphinx (Hyles lineata) above, are mistaken for hummingbirds. Unlike most moths, it often feeds during the day. At first glance, its bulk, rapid wing movement, swift flight, and habit of hovering as it feeds resembles that of a hummingbird. No wonder these insects also are referred to as hummingbird moths.
Can You Identify These Pollinators? Part 2: Butterflies
One of the joys of summer is to watch butterflies flaunt their shapes and colors by flitting, floating and fluttering from flower to flower. Attracted to clustered or composite blooms that are bright, red, purple, blue, and yellow, they pick up and transport pollen on their legs and wings.
Can You Identify These Pollinators? Part 1: Bees, Wasps, Flies
During National Pollinator Week we challenged you to test your pollinator identification skills. Each day we featured a pollinator or two on our Facebook page with clues to the identity. This week we provide answers in three parts. Part 1 focuses on bees, wasps and flies.
How to Celebrate National Pollinator Week – 15-21 June: Go Native!
National Pollinator Week - See how MGNV can help you "Go Native!" with pollinators.
New Monarch Waystation at Bluemont Park
The Bluemont Bird and Butterfly Garden began around 2004. The space, which had been just another parking lot island, was filled with various flowering perennials and shrubs and was used and maintained by park rangers. When the county changed its policies regarding ranger assignments, no rangers were permanently assigned to the park and it fell into disrepair.
Bee-havior: Gathering and Transporting Pollen
As bees feed on flower nectar, their electrostatically-charged and branched body hairs attract and trap pollen grains. They carry the grains from flower to flower making them very effective pollinators. (About one-third of agricultural crops world-wide depend directly or indirectly on bees for pollination.) Both male and female bees feed on flower nectar, which provides carbohydrates and energy. However, only the female bees gather and carry pollen back to the nest or hive. Pollen provides protein that is essential for developing larvae.