Conservation#
1 . What are pollinators?
Anything that transfers pollen (male gametes) from one flower to the female part of another flower.
2 . Name different common pollinators found in Georgia.
Bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, flies, beetles, birds, & bats
3 . How many species of native bees are found in Georgia? In Northern America?
There are approximately 540 species of bees in Georgia and 4000 in Northern America.
4 . What are some common names of native bees in Georgia?
Bumble bees, carpenter bees, mason bees, leaf cutter bees, sweat bees, and digger bees.
5 . What are some common names of butterflies in Georgia?
Monarchs, tiger, pipevine, giant and black swallowtails, common buckeyes, cloudless sulphurs, gulf fritillary, hairstreaks, skippers, American lady
6 . What are some common names of moths in Georgia?
Sphinx, eight spotted Forester, Luna moth, banded tussock moth, hummingbird or clearwing moth, oakworm moth, Rosy maple moth, underwing moth, virgin tiger moth, regal moth, and polyphemus moth
7 . If honey bees were to go extinct, would humans starve?
No, but the color, and diversity of our diets would be reduced to gruel - wheat, barley, corn and rice which are all wind pollinated.
8 . Recent research shows a major decrease in insect biomass of upwards of nearly 80% in some regions. What are some reasons why insects, including pollinators, are in decline?
Pesticides – insecticides, herbicides and fungicides all contribute to the decline of pollinators poisoning on contact or through contaminated plants and environments
Climate change – no matter where you sit on this topic, climate is changing which is throwing things out of sync. For instance, bees may be emerging earlier from their winter nap and the plants have not yet flowered. Or vice-versa, flowers bloom earlier with no bees to pollinate, hence not seeds produced. Also, extreme weather patterns can destroy plants or cause them not to bloom reducing food for pollinators.
Parasites and disease
Invasive species which can out compete the native species for resources or spread disease
Habitat loss – which across the board is probably the number one reason we are seeing a decline. With so much land being consumed for agriculture, (to feed the many) and cleared for development (to house the many), natural habitats that used to support pollinators are being destroyed and eliminated.
9 . Why is it important to help conserve pollinators?
Plain and simple, we need them and this planet needs them. They are responsible for the reproduction of most plants including those plants humans rely on for food.
10 . What is meant by the term ecosystem services?
“The many direct and indirect benefits that humans derive from the natural environment, such as clean air and water, food, and climate regulation”. Insects provide a number of ecosystem services such as pollination, natural pest control (predators and parasitoids), nutrient cycling, decomposition, and helping water quality.
11 . What can we do to help support pollinators?
We need to help by providing habitats where pollinators can live, eat, reproduce and flourish.
We can start by planting a mix of native trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. Natives are important since the species and the plant have evolved together. Some pollinators can only thrive on one plant genera. Take the gulf fritillary for example. The larvae can only eat the leaves and flowers of passionflower vine. Hickory horned devil needs leaves from native hickories and walnut trees. Luna moths need sweet gum, persimmon and hickory trees to survive. Planting non-natives usually provides nothing for our pollinators. Trees are actually the biggest bang for your buck! Small foot print with a large canopy for all sorts of wildlife!
Reduce the lawn. Turf grass doesn’t feed pollinators or much else for that matter. And it takes time to mow, water, fertilize and spray.
Avoid pesticides.
Offer blooms throughout the different seasons to ensure a continuous food supply. Include flowering plants that have overlapping bloom times from spring to fall.
Leave the leaves – a number of insects need the leaves in order to overwinter or reproduce. Leaving the leaves not only gives them a place to thrive but also provides mulch, helps with soil health and moisture retention.
Leave the stems – many of our native bees use stems of plants to lay their eggs. Removing or mulching these stems removes next year’s generation of bees.
Provide bare ground for our soil nesting bees.
Talk to your neighbors about the importance of pollinators and native species.
Get involved with your local, regional and national government, or other organizations to encourage more conservation practices be implemented.
Plant with a purpose – a number of plants found in the big box stores are not native or are a cultivar and do not produce nectar or pollen. Some examples of flowers which lack nutrition are marigolds, petunias, roses, forsythia, geraniums, impatiens, celosias, and chrysanthemums. All are beautiful, but not very appetizing to pollinators.
12 . What are some plants, shrubs and trees that will encourage pollinators into your garden?
For a more suggestions on plants, shrubs and trees that provide nutrition for pollinators, check out our website at ent.uga.edu/bees
Plants: Agastache – hummingbird mint, Asclepias – butterfly weed, Coreopsis, Eryngium- rattlesnake master, Eutrochium - Joe Pye weed, Gaillardia – blanket flower, Monarda – bee balm, Pycnanthemums - mountain mints, Ratibida - Prairie cone flower, and Symphyotrichum - asters
Shrubs: New Jersey tea, chokeberry, St. Joh’s wort, sumac, sweetshrub, Virginia sweetspire, vitex and button bush
Trees: All of our native oaks (white, pin, red, chestnut, Shumard, southern red, overcup, scarlet, willow and cherrybark) are extremely important for a number of pollinators and other wildlife. For instance, white oaks support over 2000 species from insects to birds to mammals. Here is a list of other trees native to North America that provides nutrition for pollinators. Eastern redbud, basswood, tulip poplar, black locust, catalpa, fringe tree, maples, sourwood, Paw Paw, American yellowwood, sweetbay magnolia, and witch hazel