Having a 3.5 acre garden pollinators are really important. Hand pollinating a three acre pumpkin patch does not sound like fun, good exercise, but not fun. Pollinators include: bees, birds, butterflies, bats, insects, and small mammals. They sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce (source). Pollinator numbers have been declining every year and it is vital that we help stabilize the pollinator numbers

There are over 16,000 species of bees and they live on every continent except Antarctic. They will fly 3 miles or more from their hive or home to find what they need. Bees are important for the pollination of plants and trees. Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male parts of a flower to the female parts of a flower of the same species, which results in fertilization of plant ovaries and the production of seeds (source). Bees are known for their elaborate hives, but they also help build homes for millions of other insects and animals (source). Bees like a wide range of plants but seem to prefer yellow, purple or blue flowers (source). Not all bees produce honey and not all bees live in hives. Common types include:

• Western Honeybee aka Apis mellifera
• Bumblebees aka Bombus
• Leafcutter bees aka Megachile
• Mason bees aka Megachilidae

There are over 550 types of swallowtail butterflies. They are large and colorful butterflies. Swallowtail butterflies live on every continent except Antarctica. They start off from eggs, larvae (caterpillar), pupal (chrysalis), and finally become adult butterflies. Swallowtail butterflies love parsley and dill. A lot of people will plant a few plants in the garden just for the swallowtails to eat. Butterflies are important for the pollination of plants and trees. They also are an indicator of the health of ecosystems. Lots of butterflies means the ecosystem is healthy and thriving. Lack of butterflies indicates there is trouble and changes need to be made (source). For more information.

The monarch butterfly aka Danaus plexippus orange wings are laced with black lines and bordered with white dots. Monarch butterflies will migrate to warmer climates during the fall and will return in spring. The most common food source is milkweed aka Asclepias. More than beautiful, monarch butterflies contribute to the health of our planet (source). The biggest threats to the monarch butterfly is the use of herbicides, habitat loss, parasites, climate, and confusion of host plants. The monarch population has declined by approximately 90 percent since the 1990s (source).

How can you help and increase the number of pollinators in your garden? One way is to not to use any chemicals in your garden or lawn. Chemicals are harmful to the environment and are causing the decrease of pollinators. Another way to help is to plant foods that pollinators love: milkweed, parsley, dill, bee balm, borage, and sunflowers. Build a bee bath for bees to get a drink of water. A bee bath is a swallow dish with lots of rocks and filled with water. This site has tons of ideas to attract and keep pollinators in your garden. To have a bountiful garden one needs to have pollinators.