Pollinators and Other Wildlife

The loss or fragmentation of wildlife habitat due to human incursion, invasive or non-native species, changes in climate, lower genetic diversity, disease,  herbicides, pesticides, parasitism, and predation pose challenges to the survival of many species.

In the case of the declining monarch butterfly population, deforestation in Mexico has reduced overwintering sites. In the United States, agricultural practices and expansion have reduced monarch breeding sites through the destruction of milkweed (host plant to monarch caterpillars). Added to these threats are the extreme weather conditions occurring in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

In the case of declining native bee populations, loss of the complex native woodland, field, and meadow habitats to agriculture and urban/suburban sprawl have replaced many native flowers with impervious surfaces and weeds. The Mid-Atlantic Region has nearly 500 different native bee species according to the Eastern Ecological Science Center. Most are ground nesters and about 20%-45% are pollen specialists, meaning that they use only pollen from one species (or genus) of plants. When those plants disappear so do the bees with which they have a mutualistic relationship.

We can aid pollinators and other wildlife by creating natural, sustainable and environmentally-friendly habitats on our properties. This means using primarily native plants (and removing invasive species), which are suited to local conditions and are naturally more pest and disease resistant. Native plants usually will require less watering and maintenance and little to no use of pesticides that can harm water quality and wildlife. Also, the more diverse a habitat’s vegetation in terms of species, shape, size (with horizontal and vertical layers) and seasonal interest, the more diverse the wildlife it will entice.

For example, you can reverse some of the native bee losses by planting and managing native plants on your property. Below are some general categories of native plants that should be planted first, if possible, to support the picky specialist bees, which are less in number. Many of these plants also support other pollinators (e.g., like butterflies, moths, wasps), beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife:

•Asters •Black-eyed Susan •Blueberry •Coneflowers •Dogwoods (shrubby) •Evening Primrose •Golden Alexanders •Goldenrod •Hibiscus •Hollies (native shrubs like Winterberry) •Ironweed •Monarda/Mint •New Jersey Tea •Penstemon •Pinxter Azalea •Ragwort •Spring Woodland species (like Bellworts, Spring Beauty, Troutlily, Wild Geranium) •Sunflowers (annual & perennial) •Thistle •Verbena/Vervain  

Do you know that 87% of flowering plants world-wide depend on pollinators in order to reproduce? Yet, many pollinator species are in decline. For example:

• The World Wildlife Fund reported in May 2022, that the number of acres of winter habitat in Mexico occupied by monarch butterflies increased by 35% to 7.02 acres. However, this was still well below the circa 14.8 acre extinction threshold.

• According to preliminary May 2022 results of the 15th annual nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit BeeInformed Partnership, beekeepers across the United States lost 45.5% of their managed honey bee colonies from April 2020 to April 2021.

• In June 2022, ScienceDaily reported that a dangerous variant of the deformed wing virus is on the rise worldwide. The virus infects honeybees, causing their wings to atrophy and the animals to die. 

• According a 2017 report by the Center for Biological Diversity, nearly 1 in 4 (347) native bee species in North America and Hawaii is imperiled and at increasing risk of extinction.

• The percentage of at-risk leafcutter bees (47% of the 131 native species in North America) exceeds that of every other insect group that has been assessed by NatureServe up to 2016.