The first, sweet bite of a perfectly ripened watermelon on a hot, summer day is something many people enjoy. Others favor the smell of spices in a warm house on a cool fall day as they take their first bite of hot pumpkin pie. Or what about the perfect zest and spice of jalapeno peppers in a delicious burrito? Maybe letting a perfectly smooth piece of chocolate melt on your tongue is your idea of heaven. Then again, unwinding after work with a margarita may be essential. What do all of these things have in common? Watermelon, pumpkin, peppers, chocolate, agave (the plant that tequila is made from) and so many more are all plants that are dependent on pollinators! Even your morning coffee requires a pollinator to get the job done! It is estimated that 75% of the world's crops are dependent on pollinators. The bad news for us is that the majority of our pollinators are in either a steady decline or in downright danger of extinction!
So who are our pollinators? Let's meet the crew:
1. The honeybee - the above picture gives a good picture of this little guy. Who knew that they could be so important!
2. The bumblebee -
3. Many species of bats - The one pictured here is the Mexican Long Tongued Bat -
4. Butterflies -
Monarch
Painted Lady
5. Moths - 
Sphinx Moth
Sphinx Moth
6. Beetles - This is the largest group of pollinators on the planet. Beetles are responsible for pollinating approximately 88% of the flowering plants on the planet; however, they aren't listed as number one on our list, as they are more likely to pollinate things such as magnolias, crab apples, goldenrods, etc. They are really into flowers, but not the biggest pollinator of food producing plants.
7. The Mosquito (yes the male mosquito is a pollinator (actually, even the female is, although she is also the one who bites us for our blood for her young; however, they are also pollinators - now please don't take this the wrong way - we are not in any way stating that we need to save the mosquito - they are also the most deadly creature on the planet (outside of man, of course) in that they take more lives by spreading disease - but they still belong on the pollinator list).
8. Other pollinators to keep in mind would include ants, certain types of flies, and wasps.
So why are they disappearing and what can you and I do to help? Well the first part of that question, why are the pollinators seeing a decrease in numbers is very complex. In the case of the honeybee, the main issue is called CCD or colony collapse disorder. There is dispute over what seems to be causing this, however. The best research seems to show that CCD is probably caused by the insecticides used on crops. For the butterflies, several other issues come into play (see our blog post, "Where Have All the Monarchs Gone"). Bats take a hit because of the reputation they received from Hollywood and the phobia people have developed, along with pesticides. Beetles, ants, flies, wasps, etc., all are affected by societies overuse of pesticides and herbicides and a lack of food.
Now we come down to what you and I can do to help! Find alternative ways to get rid of pests and weeds. Long before there were pesticides, farmers found ways to get rid of unwanted pests. Here in the Gila Valley of Arizona, the farmers would go up to what is called Lady Bug Saddle of Mt. Graham and gather thousands of lady bugs to let loose on their crops here in the valley. The lady bugs would rid the crops of aphids. We can do the same today. When we lived in Texas we had a terrible problem with fire ants one year, so we got chickens. Chickens are one of the few predators of fire ants. Prevention is also the key. Instead of spraying everything for mosquitoes, we can work hard to not have mosquitoes in the first place. Don't leave anything out that will collect standing water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. We have a little wading pool for our dogs, but we check it every two to three days to make sure that there is no mosquito larvae, and if we see even one, we dump it, let it dry in the sun, wipe it out and refill it. If you have a pond, fish or frogs are great to have to keep the mosquitoes down. As far as weeds, use weed mat, pull the weeds, or in some cases, let them stay as food for our pollinators. Many of the plants that are weeds to us are food for them. Research what plants are natural plants for the area. One of the reasons the monarchs are dying off is because everyone has pulled out all the milkweed. It is a natural plant and some of the varieties are actually quite beautiful.
Plant plants that will attract the pollinators. Milkweed is great for the butterflies, as are butterfly bushes. Plant other flowering plants. You'll be amazed at the beautiful creatures you have show up! Here is a link about what you can do to help our pollinators: http://www.fws.gov/pollinators/.
Enjoy your springtime!
#pollinator, #springtime, #butterflies, #bees, #Eco-friendly
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