2011 PRESS RELEASES

Click here to e-mail this page to a friend.

June 8, 2011
LEARN HOW TO ATTRACT POLLINATORS TO YOUR YARD OR GARDEN
~ Virginia Pollinator Week is June 20 – 26, 2011 ~
Contact:  Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686

In preparation for Virginia Pollinator Week, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) reminds home owners, land managers, farmers and gardeners that pollination is an essential part of a healthy ecosystem. Plants benefit from pollinators visiting their flowers. Without it, many plants could not produce fruit or set seed. Pollinators benefit from the food resources of plants such as nectar, pollen, fruit and seed, as well as nesting sites and protection from the elements provided by plants. The health and wellbeing of plants and wildlife go hand in hand. Below are tips for attracting pollinators to flowering plants.

1. Plant a variety of flowers that bloom at different times of the year. A greater variety of plants available will attract more pollinators to a garden or landscape. While some insect pollinators are available during short periods during the spring and summer, honey bees, bumble bees and many vertebrate pollinators are present throughout the growing season and into winter. Providing pollen and nectar sources throughout the year offers a food source to increase their numbers and activity.

2. Plant flowers in clumps rather than singly or in rows. The fragrance from the flowers can attract pollinators from a great distance. Clumping flowers in groups increases the intensity of the fragrance and a pollinator’s ability to locate its origin, including those that only come out at night, such as moths and bats.

3. Select plants that are known to attract pollinators in your area. Many of these will be native plants. To determine which plants are best for attracting pollinators in your region, check the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) and the Pollinator Partnership for pollinator friendly plants in your area. Click here and enter your zip code for an area-specific Guide.

4. Choose flowers with a variety of colors. The color of a flower often alerts pollinators to good nectar and pollen sources. For example, butterflies are attracted to red, orange and yellow while hummingbirds prefer purple, red and fuchsia colors.

5. Choose flowers with a variety of shapes. Butterflies and honey bees need to land before feeding and usually prefer flat, open flowers. Tubular flowers help lure pollinators with long beaks and tongues, such as hummingbirds. NAPPC has guidelines here on the types of flowers that appeal to the different pollinators.

6. Plant non-hybrid flowers. Many hybrid flowers have had their pollen, nectar or fragrance bred out of them. Non-hybrid flowers are often more attractive to pollinators.

7. Provide or build nesting structures for pollinators. Bird and bat houses, shrubbery, compost and piles of fallen branches and brush provide harborage for many pollinators. Plans and tips for these structures are available through Virginia Cooperative Extension.

8. Never use pesticides or herbicides when pollinators are present or around a pollinator garden. Even organic pesticides can be potentially harmful to pollinators. Herbicides can actually wipe out some of the most important food plants for pollinators. Some pesticides that are less harmful to pollinators can become more lethal when used with an herbicide or fungicide.

For additional information, contact Keith Tignor at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 804.786.3515 or keith.tignor@vdacs.virginia.gov.