Help to Save the Pollinators
By: Louise Peacock
Tags: Pollinators, The Masterpiece, Birds, Bees, Environment

Birds, butterflies and bees — even bats, snakes, toads and frogs — are facing threats from every possible direction. Chemicals, climate change, invasive species, illnesses peculiar to the different pollinators, and loss of habitat are often cited as being huge factors in their decline.

Action needs to be taken.

So what can we, as individuals, do to help the pollinators?

If we have a garden, even a very small one, we can plant things that they like to visit, eat, or can use for nesting materials, or use as a secure place to nest. (Check out the Cardinal in the image below.) There are many examples, and I will provide a list at the end of this piece.

Male Cardinal laying claim to a section of a cedar shrub for a new nest. Photo by Louise Peacock

2) We can provide water for them. Our local wild bird store advised us that water is the most important thing to supply the birds especially during the winter months.

Bird baths are great, especially a with a small fountain in the centre. The sound of the water attracts them and the fountain is great for the Hummingbirds who prefer to drink from a fountain. But birbaths do not help in the winter months unless they are heated. Ideally then a heated birdbath. (Ours is busy all year, and is especially fun to see in the Winter.)

If you have a bit of space, you might consider building a small pool. When we had a small pool, we noticed that it attracted toads, and a rock placed in the centre provided a perch for visiting birds. We installed a tiny pump and fountain in order to keep the water moving to deter mosquitos from using it as a breeding ground.

3) we can use natural ways to control pests and disease in the garden. Using chemicals in the garden is harmful to everybody. Of course. one does not want to spend hours tending the garden, only to have the plants ruined by pests and disease, so, what to do?

a — use non-chemical controls (e.g. Quassia bark against a series of insect pests, Baking Soda and dish detergent against Powdery Mildew, pheramone traps against the Bronze Beetle)

b — encourage insect pest eating predators (Birds, Toads, grass snakes) by providing them with a suitable habitat in your garden

c — avoid growing plants that are prone to disease and insect damage. (Grow hardy plants that thrive in your particular climatic zone. We are in Zone 5–6. I avoid growing plants that will not do well in our zone.

Even if all we have is a balcony, we can still help. We can provide water for visiting or passing through birds, We can provide some potted plants that will provide shade, a resting place and seeds, as well of course, as provding something pleasant for us to have. We could provide a Hummingbird feeder which will help a migrating Hummer on his or her way through our area.

We could even provide a Hummingbird feeder that could help an Oriole or a migrating Hummer on his or her way through our area. (I have never been quick enough to get an image of a Hummingbird.)

Baltimore Oriole enjoying a sip from our Hummingbird feeder. Photo by Louise Peacock

Some Pollinator Friendly Plants

Here are a few of the plants that are hardy in our climatic zone — 5–6a that provide food for birds, bees, and butterflies, nesting materials for birds, nesting spots for birds, convenient perching spots for birds. It also provides our garden with three seasons of color and interest. You can easily Google for suitable plants for your specific climatic zone.