1) Plant a Pollinator Garden. The most obvious need for pollinating species is a diversity of nectar and pollen sources.  Consider the following when choosing plants for your garden:

 

• Choose plants that flower at different times of the year to provide nectar and pollen sources throughout the growing season

• Plant in clumps, rather than single plants, to better attract pollinators

• Provide a variety of flower colors and shapes to attract different pollinators.  Research information on the types of flowers that different pollinator groups (bats, hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, etc.) find attractive.

• Whenever possible, choose native plants.  Native plants will attract more native pollinators and can serve as larval host plants for some species of pollinators. Check field guides to find out which plants the larval stage of local butterflies eat.

• Build or install a butterly puddler in your yard, or several, if you have acreage, around the site.  Here is a good place to learn how.

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  Use The Xerces Society Milkweed Seed Finder!

 

2) Provide Nesting Sites.  Different pollinators have different needs for nesting sites.  Some examples are:

 

• Bee nesting blocks.  Many species of solitary bees use small cavities in wood.  Create your own bee nesting block by drilling different-diameter holes in a block of preservative-free wood.

• If it’s not a safety hazard, consider leaving a dead tree or limb undisturbed to provide natural nesting habitat

• Ground nesting sites.  Simply maintaining a small, undisturbed patch of bare ground will provide nesting habitat for ground-nesting bees. It is best if the site faces south so that it gets the most sun possible during the day.

• Build bird or bat nesting boxes or sites.  Instructions for building bat and bird houses can be found online.

• Always provide a source of clean water for the pollinators you are trying to attract.  Birds need a relative lot of water compared to butterflies, but they both need water.  So do most beneficial insects, such as ladybugs and praying mantids.

 

3) Avoid the Use of Agricultural Chemicals. Pesticides can kill more than the target pest. Some pesticide residues can kill pollinators for several days after the pesticide is applied. Pesticides can also kill natural predators, which can lead to even worse pest problems. Herbicides can destroy important pollinator feeding and nesting habitat.  Consider the following when managing pests in your garden:

 

• Try removing individual pests by hand if possible (wearing garden gloves)

• Encourage native predators with a diverse garden habitat

• Interplant pollinator friendly species with your vegetable garden's plants

• Expect and accept a little bit of pest activity

• Use physical barriers like mesh row-covers

• Use sticky traps or other insect traps instead of using sprays

 

IMPORTANT ARTICLE, everyone should read this:

 http://earthjustice.org/features/the-perfect-crime#.VOjEUykqV9M.facebook

 

Pollinator Stewardship Council resolutions to protect honey bees and native pollinators

Immediate actions that could be taken to support pollinator health now

 

• Native and managed pollinators are a national resource needing protection, as pollinators provide an irreplaceable service for our ecosystem in the production of high quality fruits and vegetables for our families.

• Pollinators must be protected all year long in every setting in order to be abundant and healthy for the essential pollination moments.

• Reducing pesticide exposure when pollinators are collecting nectar and pollen would improve pollinator health.  Eliminating exposure of toxic levels of pesticides applied to pollinator attractive bloom would support the nutritional needs of pollinators.

• Pesticide free forage is needed to support healthy and sustainable native and managed pollinators in agriculture, urban, and suburban areas.

• Pesticide labeling is the law, but EPA has removed the mandatory protection language.  Without mandatory protective guidelines, pollinators will be killed by pesticide misuse.

• EPA fails to protect pollinators, basing their decisions on politics and economics rather than credible science.  Pollinators are indicator species for the health of the environment and require stewardship.

• Accelerate the timeline for the re-registration decision of neonic class of pesticides.  A moratorium* must be placed on their use on bee attractive plants, until the science can be reviewed. Treated seeds must be declared a pesticide application. (*definition of “moratorium” — “a planned activity is postponed.”)

• Read More Here