Nocturnal pollination is something I seldom think about, but this fascinating article by Paul Manning at Poky Ecology describes a host of nighttime pollinators in lowbush blueberry. Really, I had no idea how busy a berry bush in the dark could be. In a series of experiments, researchers found that as much as one-third of […] Read more
Like mushrooms on the forest floor, new pollinator charities pop up every week. About a month ago, one of these nascent groups asked if I would endorse them and link to their website. This is a common request, so I know what to look for. Within 30 seconds of landing on their home page—of which […] Read more
There’s a place in front of my top-bar hive where I back my truck and turn around. I was doing that yesterday, having just retrieved a load of tree seedlings, when I saw the strangest sight in the mirror. Strange for this time of year, at least—a cloud, dark as chocolate, spinning above the hive. […] Read more
Chiropterophily is pollination of plants by bats. Bat pollination is most common in tropical and desert areas that have many night-blooming plants. Just like bees and birds that pollinate, nectar-consuming bats have evolved ways to find and harvest the sweet liquid. Nectar bats have long tongues and can hover like hummingbirds. In turn, the flowers […] Read more
When I posted the photos from Andrew Hogg yesterday, I somehow overlooked this one. So here is it, front and center.
Beekeeper Andrew Hogg sent me the following photos. He says: I got some great pics with my macro last August while a pollinator party was going on in my mother’s garden in Muskoka, about 200 km north of Toronto, Ontario. I’d never seen many of these guys before even though I spent every summer of […] Read more
A few weeks back, Nan at Shady Grove Farm in Kentucky sent in a photo of a monarch caterpillar preparing to pupate. Unfortunately she missed the transition from caterpillar to pupa, which happens in a flash. However, she kept track of the date, hoping to catch the emergence of the adult butterfly. The reference she […] Read more