Some conventional gardening practices you are accustomed to using elsewhere in your garden should be avoided in a pollinator patch because they can be disruptive or harmful to beneficial insects. The use of mulch, for example, can make it hard for native bees to burrow nest tunnels into the soil. If you do need to mulch to conserve soil moisture or to inhibit weeds, use a material that will break down easily, such as composted leaves. You should also avoid digging up or working the soil in your pollinator garden as much as possible because you could disturb the habitat of ground-nesting bees.