Save Bees and Pollinators
75-95 % of all plants on our planet need the assistance of pollinators.
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One third of the food we eat depends on pollinators.
More than 180 000 different plant species and more than 1 200 crop species worldwide need the help of pollinators. This is 75 - 95 % of all flowering plants on Earth. Insects, birds, mammals, and even reptiles and mollusks are most involved in this amazing process.
Pollen mist. Source: Unsplash
What is pollination? It is the first step in the process by which plants produce seeds, fruits and thus ensure the next generation of plants. Pollination takes place when pollen grain moves from the anther (male part) of a flower to the stigma (female part).
Did you know that… 1 out of the 3 food items you eat is only thanks to pollinators?
And who are our hero pollinators? In order for pollinators to be able to pollinate almost 95 % of the plants on our planet, there must be an entire army of them. It consists of almost 200 000 different species of animals around the world that act as pollinators. Of this huge number, only about 1 000 are vertebrates (such as birds, bats and small mammals) and the rest are invertebrates (including bees, butterflies, moths, beetles and flies). To give you an idea, let's take a closer look at at least a few (a-)typical representatives below.
Solitary Bees. Source: Wikipedia
Solitary bees When you say “pollinator”, everyone imagines a bee – specifically a honey bee (Apis spp.). However, this represents only a fraction of the population, because there are more than 20 000 species of bees worldwide (of which approximately 3 600 species come from the United States and Canada).
Despite the entrenched image of bees as social insects, more than 90 % of bees live alone. Each female builds and secures her own nest without the help of others.
Most species of solitary bees are not aggressive and do not even have a sting.
Close-up of a fly. Source: Unsplash
Flies Flies are in second place (after bees) among pollinators. They could even evolutionarily rank among the most frequent pollinators responsible for pollinating plants.
It is estimated that there are more than 1 million fly species, although only about 125 000 species have been described.
Bumblebee gathering pollen. Source: Unsplash
Bumblebees Unlike bees, bumblebees can fly at lower temperatures (due to thermoregulation) and at lower light levels. This makes them the best pollinators, especially at higher altitudes and latitudes.
Bumblebees are distinctive among pollinators. They use “buzz pollination” for pollination. That is, by mere vibrations caused by the buzzing and resonance of the flight muscles, they expel pollen from their anthers. We currently know about 250 species of bumblebees.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on a Zinnia. Source: Unsplash
Moths and Butterflies Unlike bees, butterflies and moths are not considered effective pollinators of most cultivated plants. Nevertheless, they are vital pollinators of many flowering plants in the wild, in parks and gardens.
There are about 160 000 species of moths and 17 500 species of butterflies in the world.
Wasp on a pink flower. Source: Unsplash
Wasps Wasps are not primary pollinators. Most of them have a smooth body and lack branched pollen-trapping hairs. However, they still provide random pollination when moving between flowers. For example, Fig Wasps (Agaonidae) are the only pollinators of about 800 species of figs!
Wasps generally have a bad reputation due to their aggressiveness. In fact, their role is irreplaceable. A wasp is the perfect hunter, keeping the balance of the insect population. For example, one may regard bees as wasps that have become vegetarians.
Beetle on a yellow flower drinking nectar. Source: Unsplash
Beetles Beetles are the most diverse group of insects in the world. They were most probably the first insects to pollinate flowers about 150 million years ago.
Beetles play an important role as pollinators, especially in some parts of the world. These include the semi-arid regions of Southern Africa and Southern California and the KwaZulu-Natal mountain pastures in South Africa.
Usual year-on-year losses of bees are 5-10 %. In 2021, losses were 45.5 %.
European bees, which are most commonly used worldwide to pollinate crops, suffer from parasites and also colony collapse disorder. At the same time, they also play an important role in our food chain, as the main pollinators of crops, from blueberries to pumpkins. They also play an important role in cotton growing – the material used in most of our garments. Nevertheless, in the USA alone, breeders lost 45.5 % of their managed hives from April 2020 to April 2021.
Bees pollinate about 15 % of the world's food. Almost 80 % is pollinated by native bees and other wild insects. Beehives belonging to breeders can be restored, but bumblebees and other species of pollinators need our help. So what's happening?
Natural environmental loss, fragmentation Habitats of pollinators are constantly shrinking. Where there was still a meadow twenty years ago, today there is a road or new development and new suburbs are being built. Although new land uses may seem to make room for pollinators, many species of bees and butterflies lose their necessary and specific nesting sites, and their sites for overwintering and pollen search.
Environmental degradation Another aspect of the greater movement of people and the general expansion of civilization is the degradation of the habitats of pollinators. For example, insects such as bees use loose, friable soil for their homes. However, the soil is being trampled on or driven over by the greater movement of people. In addition, built-up parts of cities do not provide ideal conditions for the creation of new homes.
Habitat fragmentation The former situation in Nature provided complete areas that were interconnected. This provided the pollinating insects with sufficient food and a greater opportunity for nesting. Today, the landscape is increasingly divided by roads, populated areas and monoculture farming. To insects, this is basically a “desert” without food. This makes it difficult for them to reach new nesting sites or the chance of finding better habitats.
Invasive species While it may seem that insects do not care about the species of plants from which they draw their food or use as their refuge, the opposite is true. Invasive plants push away native plants, reducing food and shelter for pollinators. For example, the Japanese Barberry shades out native spring ephemerals like Dutchman’s Breeches, which provide food for early spring bumblebees.
Diseases and parasites Thanks to the “shortening of distances” in the present-day world, non-native insect species are also spreading along with invasive plant species. Parasites and diseases that were originally separated by natural borders (oceans or mountains) can now be easily introduced into new areas by humans. The original pollinators did not develop resistance to new diseases, and there are probably no natural predators of new parasites in the area either. For example, Varrora mites can infest a beehive and cause a colony collapse disorder and even the death of the hive. Thus, non-native parasites and diseases eventually infect native species.
Air pollution, pesticides and herbicides Pollinators rely on odorous traces to find flowers. Air pollution (including pollution by light) prevents good orientation for flying insects, as well as for birds and mammals. Pesticide overuse is a major threat to insect pollinators and other wildlife. Moreover, these substances remain in the soil for a much longer time and are ultimately dangerous to human health.
Climate change It may sound like a cliché to blame climate change, but the impact is real. We all notice that flowers are blooming earlier, which deprives some pollinators of food. Some insect species feed only on specific plants; if these flowers die before the insects arrive, the insects will starve and thus fewer plants are pollinated. Rising temperatures can contribute to the loss of bumblebees. The numbers of North American bumblebees have fallen by almost 50 % since 1974. The largest losses occurred in places where there were the highest temperature increases.
Take a look at 8 things to help pollinators thrive.
; ;More meadows and fewer lawns Beautifully green and freshly mowed, the lawn is the dream of almost every homeowner. But for pollinators, it's the same as a desert. Insects will not find any plants on the lawn to provide pollen. In contrast, meadows, where different types of flowers bloom almost all year round, are like a visit to a luxury restaurant for insects. So it is ideal to complement your dream lawn with a garden or a corner where you give space for flowers.
Grow native plants The relationship between insects and plants is balanced in Nature. Specific pollinators specialize in specific plants and the need is mutual. Some plants are pollinated only by butterflies or moths, others by bumblebees or bees. As a result, pollinators have enough food and the survival of plants is ensured. However, there may not be a specialized pollinator for non-native / invasive species.
Support diversity in the garden Diversity is also important when choosing the plants for your garden. Remember that “variety is the spice of life”. More plant species will provide a greater variety of pollinators, and you can enjoy the bumblebees, bees and butterflies.
Increase flowering time Spring is a time when everything comes to life and blooms, but remember that insects are here with us all year round and need food and refuge in every season. After hibernation, they have plenty of food all around, but it is necessary to make sure that something is flowering in the garden throughout the year. You can do this by choosing plants that have a long-term inflorescence or gradually flower throughout the year.
Provide insect hotels We all imagine that bees living in hives are the main pollinators. But the bee is only one of the pollinators. The vast majority of bees do not have their dwellings underground, because some pollinators use hollow stems of plants or wood as their refuges. You can support their lives by building insect houses, leaving plant residues or garden waste in which they can more easily make their homes.
Provide a source of water Water is not only important for humans, but of course insects also need a supply of fresh water. For example, water helps bees to digest food, and when transported to the hive, it acts as a humidity regulator and can be used as “air conditioning” of the hive in the summer heat. Water also attracts butterflies, which will become an attractive asset to your garden as well.
Limit mowing A neatly mowed lawn may have a pleasant esthetic effect, but it won't give pollinators anything. If you need frequent lawn mowing, try shifting the frequency to 2-3 weeks. The plants will have enough time to flower and give the necessary food to insects.
Do not use pesticides Pesticides, fungicides and herbicides – these substances are used by people to simplify the path to a better appearance of their surroundings, higher crop yields and an effective method of getting rid of unwanted insects. However, these substances usually do more damage than people realize. For example, Nature can deal with pests by itself, because every pest has its own predator. If you let ladybugs, mantises and wasps into your garden, they alone will deal with unwanted insects.
