If you like to eat fruit of the tree and vine—apples, sweet cherries, pumpkins, pears, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, nuts and other fresh produce—you should love pollinators! The Environmental Services Department celebrates pollinators during National Pollinator Week (June 20-26, 2016) and encourages residents to do the same.
Did you know? Our morning coffee and delicacies like chocolate, vanilla and almonds would not exist without insect pollinators. Bees, flies, beetles, moths, hummingbirds and other pollinators help in the production of nearly 75 percent of crops and almost 80 percent of all flowering plants.
Planting to attract pollinators is a growing trend in gardening nationwide! The Woodlands offers a rich habitat and ideal climate for providing nectar plants for pollinators year round.
Due to pressures, honey bees and native pollinators are in decline. Nature lovers are turning the tide by creating niche gardens in plant pots, selecting native shrubs for foundation plantings and reducing turf grass to add flowering islands of color.
Here’s how you can love a pollinator today:
- Plant a pollinator garden.
- Select native nectar plants that blossom successively throughout the year.
- Bee curious! Know what bugs you before reaching for pesticide. Remember, that caterpillar could turn into a beautiful butterfly! Visit www.bugguide.net to identify insects in your garden.
- Introduce and observe pollinators with kids. Explore pollinator activities with your budding scientist.
- Request a Pollinator Packet by calling Environmental Services at 281-210-3800.
For more pollinator resources, tips to manage out-of-place pollinators and safety precautions around bees, please visit the Wildlife Management webpage.
