A word or two about survival
Yes indeed, somebody counted, and there are maybe 20,000 species of bees on our planet, some on the cucumber flowers in my garden right now. Moth species number above 150,000 (but who’s counting?), and butterfly species call in at about 20,000.
Those are some of the animals that rustle against and accidentally gather and spread pollen from plant to plant as they wander through life and feed themselves. Other pollinators include the wind, rodents, birds, lepidoptera and a million zillion (or so) insects including bees, wasps, flies and beetles.
Yes, indeed, flies are pollinators whose specialization is being attracted to the stinkiest possible choice – hardly anybody goes there, no waiting, sort of like a vacant booth at a seedy corner bar. House flies – like 160,000 other fly species – need nectar to keep wings a-flapping, and you’ve smelled the neighborhoods they hang out in.
The U.S. Forest Service tells us, “About 80% of all flowering plants and over three-quarters of the staple crop plants that feed humankind rely on animal pollinators.” According to the Pollinator Partnership, 39 food plants must have help from pollinators. Their list goes from alfalfa to vanilla. Apparently, 150 varieties of bees visit blueberry flowers. Thank you, bees. Thank you, blueberries. Included in the list are berries, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes, fruits, etc. – one-third of every bite we take – which, without the daily labors of pollinators, would eventually fade to zero from lack of pollination.
When buzzy things fly to a cucumber or squash flower, they are searching for nectar for a sugar high and pollen for sustenance. Pollen is packed with proteins and other valuable nutritious tidbits, and insects learn this in second grade. Pollen attaches to the visitor and accompanies it to the next feeding station and there drops off on the stigma of a flower. This is called cross-pollination. The stigma is the female part of a flower that produces fruits and seeds and such. I’ve never seen the fertilization part personally; I defer to those who have, but I have harvested scores of cucumbers as a result of this mystery, and my fame in the pickle-making realm is a result.
Food plants that do not require pollinator assistance include leafy greens, beets, beans and onion family members, though buzzy things love garlic chive flowers, and that’s how to attract pollinators – grow flowers they like. Zinnias are colorful, the pollen is easily accessible plus zinnias will reseed themselves if you let them. A healthy anise hyssop plant will have a profusion of pink-to-purple pleasantly scented tubular flowers that attract butterflies and bees. Black-eyed Susans and goldenrods are natives around here and important pollinator road stop diners. Sunflowers are popular with birds and bees. Milkweed flowers feed the monarchs.
Echinacea flowers in my garden even attract goldfinches that then carry pollen far away hopefully with salubrious results. “Go, finch, go! May the echinacea be with you.”
Yes, indeed, pollinators are important enough that beekeepers and members of the agriculture industry in Arkansas developed the Pollinator Stewardship Program, which led to guidelines and communication between farmers, beekeepers and folks who apply pesticides. Evil, wicked, mean, bad and nasty pesticides are a key contributor in the decline of pollinator populations, bees in particular. The goal of the Stewardship Program is to minimize that impact.
Natural Resources Conservation Service Arkansas coordinates the Monarch Conservation Partnership that encourages pollinator protection on both public and private lands plus the Bee Friendly Farming program which informs farmers on ways to promote pollinator well-being.
In our neighborhood, locals created the Eureka Springs Pollinator Alliance, which led to the town becoming the first Bee City USA affiliate in Arkansas. Holiday Island had a successful Pollinator Festival last Saturday. We care about these things.
Pollinators need nectar and pollen to survive, and pollination is vital to survival and proliferation of plant species. What affects one affects the other. Our part is to plant lots of flowers.