**Simple Things You Can Do to Help Pollinators (1,004 Words)**

Hello, I'm Claire Cassel. Thank you for joining us for a week-long
series of podcast about our native pollinators brought to you by the
Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the United States Department of
the Interior.

Today is June 26^th^, and Joshua Winchell, Public Affairs specialist
continues our discussion of pollinator gardening with several
suggestions for things you can do to improve backyard habitat for
pollinators

Yesterday we discussed the importance and the fun you can have helping
native bees with a pollinator garden.

Today we would like to complete our discussion with a few more
suggestions about some of the things that make your yard a better
habitat for pollinators.

Providing a source of water is one of the most important things you can
do. This can be a birdbath, small pond, or a source of dripping water
that creates a damp spot on the ground that bees can access.

Many wood-nesting, and some ground-nesting solitary bees like leafcutter
and mason bees use water as a solvent to mix with soil particles. They
make mud and use it to form partitions or room dividers between nest
cells where the eggs are deposited.   Other bees use saliva or nectar to
hold their nest building materials together such as chewed leaves,
resins, saps, gums, bits of debris, bark, flower petals, sand, and so
on.

Make a bee mud puddle. An easy way to do this is to take a one gallon
plastic milk jug and put a pin hole in the bottom. Put the jug on the
ground and "Voila." The water leaks out slowly and creates a mini mud
puddle. Wood ash can be added to mud or sand and will sometimes attract
puddling male butterflies.

Remember, if you provide standing water in a birdbath, pan or other
container, be sure to keep it fresh. Letting water stand can invite
unwanted mosquitos to lay their eggs.

Many folks use mulch in order to control weeds in flower beds. That is
ok, but please do not mulch EVERYTHING over.  Keep some bare dirt
exposed. Most native ground-nesting bees, need patches of bare ground in
which to nest. They make their homes in old beetle or mouse burrows Some
hide their nest entrances under leaves, but most do not. Sand piles and
ditch banks are also important as potential nest sites for bees.

Leave some dead wood in your backyard. Dead wood provides shelter and
nesting space for many beneficial insects, including leaf cutter bees
and mason bees. Entire trees or even branches will suit this purpose.
Also these types of habitats provide important resources for birds
and other wildlife.

Other enhancements.

There are a number of ways that you can enhance the habitat provided by
your pollinator garden. One is to provide artificial nesting sites for
native bees. This can be something as simple as a length of untreated
4x4 or 2x8 that has been drilled to provide nest tunnels. Artificial
nesting habitats can also be made with bundles of bamboo bound together.
The internet has a lot of information about these and other projects.

Another attraction for pollinators such as bees and butterflies that is
easy to do is to put out a small plate of freshly cut pieces of banana,
oranges, apples and other fruit. If you can, place this in the shade so
it does not dry out. Remember to not leave the fruit out until it
ferments. Fresh is better.

And though we have focused on native bees as pollinators, you might want
to consider putting out a hummingbird feeder. These are widely
available, and hummingbirds are another pollinator you can attract to
your garden, they are a lot of fun to watch.

Finally a brief reminder about fertilizers and pesticides.

Reduce fertilizer and pesticide use. We know we have mentioned this
before, but it is really important.

Did you know that nearly 70 million pounds of synthetic pesticides are
used on U.S. lawns annually.

As homeowners we use up to ten times the amount of pesticides per acre
on our lawns than farmers use on their agricultural crops. We also spend
more per acre on average, to maintain our lawns than those same farmers
do per agricultural acre.

Over fertilization is a common practice and it can be a problem.
Fertilizing more than the recommended rate does not help plants grow
better. In fact it can harm them.

Have your soil tested to find out exactly what nutrients you need in
order to avoid applying unnecessary fertilizers. You can do this
yourself using available kits or contact your County Agricultural
Extension Service for help.

Remember, excess pesticides and fertilizers on lawns can be carried away
as runoff during a rain and end up contaminating streams and wetlands
dozens of miles away.

Depending on where you live you may be able to obtain organic
fertilizers (manure) rather than synthetic ones. Organic fertilizers
release more slowly into the environment and create more healthy soil.

And since we have been talking about alternatives to the mowed lawn, did
you know that yard waste, mostly grass clippings, makes up to 20% of
municipal solid waste? Leave the grass clippings from mowing to
decompose on your lawn. Feeding your lawn this way is equal to
fertilizing it once or twice a year.

You can also use lawn and other plant wastes to create compost.
Composting is easy, promotes healthy soils, and reduces the use and need
for chemical fertilizers.

Look towards other options first. You can grow plants that are natural
insect repellents such as lemon balm among your flowers and vegetables
to help keep away unwanted insects or other pests. Other insect
repelling plants that may be familiar include lavender, tomato plants,
and marigolds.

And remember, there are beneficial insects that eat bugs and other pests
you don't want in the garden. Learn to identify these insects for your
area and let them flourish. This will help you to find a balanced
population of spiders, ladybugs, bees, and other beneficial insects to
fight against pests in your yard.

But if you must use pesticides follow the directions carefully. And
there are some pesticides that are less persistent in the environment.

Here's a closing thought, we have all heard about thinking outside the
box, well, think beyond the fence. Become a pollinator advocate and work
with your neighbors to include several backyards in a bee habitat
creation plan, giving native bees a larger area to nest and forage in.

For the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this is Joshua Winchell

This podcast is a product of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a
partner with the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign and the
Pollinator Partnership. Tomorrow we will talk about the value and
importance of local botanical gardens as resources for pollinator
gardeners.

To tune in to other National Pollinator Week podcasts, find
pollinator-friendly information and products, visit
[www.pollinator.org](http://www.pollinator.org/)