by Jayne Rising

Besides drought, disease. and supply chain disruptions, another problem that could cause food shortages is a lack of pollinators. 87% of plants require pollination to reproduce. 1/3 of food crops require pollination. In the US, beekeepers have lost 30-42% of their colonies every year since 2006.

While it’s true that many plants, such as squash, can be hand pollinated, have you ever done an entire agricultural field that way? And what about crops with tiny flowers, like cucumbers? One who can reliably hand-pollinate a cucumber is a better gardener than I! Insects do this job SO much better. In this article, we will look at pollinators and the problems they’re currently facing.

Let’s talk about the birds and the bees!

Seriously, both pollinate plants. Bees are the most well-known pollinators, but they’re far from the only ones. Birds, wasps, butterflies, and beetles also pollinate various plants. Moreover, honey bees aren’t the only species of interest. There are 20,000 species of bees worldwide and 500 in my home state of Wisconsin. The most common pollinators here are honey bees, bumblebees, Mason bees, leafcutters, sweat bees, miners, and small carpenters.

I see bumbles and Mason bees in my yard primarily. The bees are collecting pollen to feed their hive. They’re grocery shopping, basically, and they visit up to 1000 flowers per trip. Butterflies, moths, and other insects are doing the same thing: feeding their young. As they go from flower to flower, the pollinators spread pollen, allowing the plants to reproduce. Many fruits contain seeds, of course. So, everyone benefits from one of nature’s delightful balances.

What are the nesting habits of bees?

SNIP