Pollinator Pathways
How do you join a Pollinator Pathway?
-
Go insecticide-free. Pollinators won't make it in yards where insecticides are being broadcast.
-
Preserve and plant native plants. Our local pollinators evolved with our local plants and require them to survive.
Tiny pockets of habitat, such as one person's yard, can support a surprising number of pollinators. But all critters - and even plants! - thrive best in large, connected areas where they can move around freely, finding shelter, mates, nesting areas, food, and water, and where they are safe from chemicals. Neighbors working together can grow a pollinator pathway, connecting their yards to each other and to nearby natural areas.
"Pollinator Pathways" started in New England and has spread from there to many states. Let's put Virginia on the map!
Sign up your neighbors
-
Ask them to make a pledge: no broadcast insecticides!
-
Do they have native plants? Even one plant would be a good start.
-
Put up pollinator pathway signs. We will mail you the first five for free once you have the pledges.
Suggestion: Bring everyone who signs up an Ovitrap for mosquito control, and/or a small native plant for their front yard.
Why help the pollinators?
Butterflies, moths, bees, beetles, flies, ants, wasps, hummingbirds - all of these pollinate flowers. Approximately 90% of plants are pollinated by insects or other animals. Without pollinators, those plants will disappear, as will the songbirds and all the rest of the ecosystem - including humans! Pollinator numbers are falling precipitously. The two biggest reasons are insecticides and loss of habitat.
What's wrong with spraying for mosquitoes?
Any chemical that kills adult mosquitoes and ticks - including products that call themselves "natural" or "safe" - are far from safe for pollinators. They will kill any insect and thus cause serious damage to the ecosystem. The bees and butterflies are depending on us for help. Don't draw them in only to kill them off!
Mosquito spraying is expenseive and not even very effective. There are much better ways to deal with them. Learn more here.
What else can you do in your yard?
Click on the titles for details
Flowers attract adult pollinators, but without caterpillars, there are no butterflies. Caterpillars eat the leaves of native plants, and what plant has more leaves than a tree? Essential for bees and other pollinators as well, canopy trees are the lynchpin of the ecosystem in eastern USA.
Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
The leaf litter that accumulates under the trees is where many pollinators spend the winter.
Tulip Poplars are the host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars.
Of the 400 native bee species that are native to Virginia, many are solitary bees that nest in the ground and need bare soil to do that. These bees are extremely unlikely to sting you! It is very fun to watch them going in and out of their little tunnels.
Sandy slopes are the ideal nesting area for the Abrupt Digger Bee.
To see a variety of pollinators, you need a variety of native plants. But to feed the caterpillars of any given butterfly, you'll need more than one small plant. Planting a mass of the same flower looks great and is more likely to attract pollinators. If your neighbors are planting something different, your pollinator pathway will have the diversity it needs.
A mass of Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) makes a great fall display.
Invasive plants are non-native species that were brought here by humans and got out of control because the ecosystem that regulated them was left behind. They are killing our ecosystem by displacing the native plants that support the pollinators. Many of them such as English Ivy and Asian Wisteria are killing our trees by the millions. Invasive shrubs such as Japanese Barberry and Autumn Olive are taking over our natural areas.
Cutting English Ivy and other invasive vines at the base of the tree will let it die and fall off above, saving the tree. But please don't cut the native vines! They rarely hurt trees and are important to the ecosystem. Learn more here.
Lawns have their uses, but supporting pollinators is not one of them. Turfgrass comes from Europe and therefore does not fit into our ecosystem. Gradually reducing its size by adding native shrubs and groundcovers will increase curb appeal, require less mowing, and help you reach the goal of a minimum of 70% native plants (and preferably much more) in your neighborhood.
Native shrubs and groundcovers require little maintenance once established.