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And I thought bumbles were big

What looks like a combination of a bumble bee and a hummingbird and a skipper? I certainly didn’t know as I began taking photos of this creature in the ligustrum bush.

At first I thought it was an oversized bumble. But I soon realized that it never held still. Rather than folding its wings while nectaring, it hovered like a hummingbird. Then I saw its tongue, which unwrapped like a roll of toilet paper and reminded me of a skipper. Then I saw the antennae, which were straight and looked nothing like those on a bee.

A name came to me before I looked it up: hawk moth. I had seen pictures of these before, but never saw one in person. So I looked up hawk moth and there is was! And no wonder I was confused, these behemoths are often called “bumble bee moths” because they look like what?

The hawk moths are in the Sphingidae family and are listed as important pollinators. The one I photographed was probably Hemaris diffinis—common throughout our region according to Insects of the Pacific Northwest by Haggard and Haggard (2006).

The honey bees working the ligustrum had been chasing off other pollinators, but not this one. They give it first dibs on everything it touched. Sort of like a bank, this moth is just too big to fail.

Rusty
HoneyBeeSuite

Hawk moth hovering while drinking nectar.
Hawk moth hovering while drinking nectar.
Uncoiling its very long tongue.
Uncoiling its very long tongue.
The little bee on the right is about honey bee size.
The little bee on the right is about honey bee size.

Pheasants Forever provides bee habitat

Pheasants Forever, a non-profit conservation organization founded in Minnesota in 1982, promotes “the protection and enhancement of pheasants, quail and other wildlife populations” through its 27,000 members and 75 chapters. According to its website, www.minnesotapf.org , Pheasants Forever has completed projects that affect more than 242,000 acres of wildlife habitat.

In a recent press release, Pheasants Forever explained how pheasants and quail have habitat requirements similar to pollinators such as wild bees, honey bees, butterflies, and beetles. By creating and preserving habitat for these birds, they have also been expanding the habitat for wild pollinators. It works like this:

During the spring and summer months, flowering plants are important for game bird survival because the young chicks depend on them for two things: ground cover to protect them from avian predators and a ready supply of insects for food. The insects, in turn, are dependent on the flowering plants for nesting habitat and a supply of nectar and pollen. Both the birds and the insects require profuse flowering plant species from April through October.

By creating habitat suitable for game birds, the organization is helping wild pollinator populations to thrive. Pete Berthelsen, a senior field biologist for Pheasants Forever says, “As a hunter, pollinator habitat will put more birds in my game vest. As an American consumer, pollinators are critical to the price of food and even our ability as a nation to produce food. It’s honestly difficult to overestimate the importance of addressing pollinator habitat immediately.”

The organization’s website has plenty of information about game bird habitat, ecology, and predators. You can also order food plot seed—different mixtures of seed designed to support the needs of game birds, deer, and other wildlife.

Rusty

Pheasant chick in the undergrowth. Flickr photo by Alistair Young.
Pheasant chick in the undergrowth. Flickr photo by Alistair Young.

Plant a pollinator-friendly plant for Earth Day

If you live in the states, the Pollinator Partnership has a website where you can get information about pollinator-friendly plants that will grow in your eco-region. Simply enter your zip code and you will be directed to a 24-page guide for your area. Each guide contains an overview of the planting region, a summary of the history and ecology of the area, and lists of plants that grow and attract pollinators in that region.

In addition, the .pdf document gives you background on pollinators in general, information about the types of flowers they prefer, pointers on attracting pollinators to your yard, and explanations about pollinator habitat and nesting requirements.

All this is free, so be sure to check it out at http://www.pollinator.org. And remember that Earth Day is this Thursday April 22. Celebrate by planting a pollinator-friendly plant and reap the benefits for years to come.

Rusty

Bumble bee in Pennsylvania. Flickr photo by jbaker5
Bumble bee in Pennsylvania. Flickr photo by jbaker5

We must take care of our pollinators

News reports insistently tell us that bees pollinate one-third of the world’s food supply. But what does that really mean?

First of all, that estimate varies with the researcher, but it usually includes all animal-pollinated crops, not just those pollinated by bees. These animal pollinators include many types of insects as well as birds and bats. Nevertheless, some folks estimate that bees are responsible for about 75% of all animal pollination. But again, the numbers vary.

Secondly, the “one-third” estimate usually includes that portion of the meat supply that was fed animal-pollinated crops, such as alfalfa and clover. This is another number that is hard to calculate because, in modern agriculture, more and more animals are fed grains instead of leafy forage.

The two-thirds of the food supply not pollinated by animals is dominated by the grains. Most grains are in the grass family and are normally pollinated by the wind. They include wheat, corn, millet, rice, rye, barley, oats, spelt, sorghum, and lesser known crops such as teff and triticale. Quinoa and amaranth are two non-grass grains that also require no animal pollinators. The two-thirds portion also includes crops that could be pollinated by animals, but are not, such as potatoes. (Nearly all potatoes are propagated by seed pieces, which are not seeds at all but chunks of potato that sprout when planted.) Lastly, the two-thirds includes fish, and that amount of meat which is raised on grain or other crops not pollinated by animals.

So why are animal-pollinated plants so important? The grains and meat can supply all the calories, protein, and fat we could possibly use, but the flowering plants provide the vast array of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, flavonoids, antioxidants, and trace elements that we need for good health. We could not survive in a world devoid of the animal-pollinated plants, so caring for pollinators is not a choice but a necessity.

Rusty

Bee on squash. Flickr photo by cygnus921
Bee on squash. Flickr photo by cygnus921

Tips for planting a pollinator garden

When planting a pollinator garden, keep in mind that pollinators need food during the entire growing season. Although some species live only a few weeks, different species become active at different times of the year. In other words, something must be in flower at all times throughout the spring, summer, and fall if you want to have a varied and continuous supply of visitors. Here are some tips for a successful pollinator garden.

  • The wider the variety of flowers you plant, the wider the variety of pollinators you will attract. Different pollinators are attracted to different plant features, so give them plenty of options.
  • Choose flowers of different colors. Bees are particularly fond of blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow. Hummingbirds, on the other hand, like the reds.
  • Flowers planted in clumps of like-kind tend to attract more pollinators than scattered mixtures.
  • Plant flowers of different shapes. Pollinators have an amazing variety of tongue lengths, mouths sizes, body sizes, and taste preferences. Flowers of various geometries attract a wider selection of pollinators.
  • Highly selected hybrids often have less nectar than heirloom varieties. Stick with heirlooms or native varieties, when possible.
  • Plants in the sun attract more pollinators than plants in the shade.
  • Sheltered plants are more favored than plants that thrash in the wind.
  • Have a source of mud readily available. Certain bees, such as mason bees, use it for sealing their nests.
  • Skip the pesticides—not good for them, not good for you.

Rusty
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