Tag: bugs

Providing a Pollinator-Friendly Habitat

Blog Posts / Written WorkLeave a comment
Native pollinator in hand. Photo by Joy Newton, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

When most of us picture a pollinator, we picture a honeybee. But, honeybees are not the only pollinator out there. They are not our best pollinator, and they are not even native to North America. A more accurate pollinator picture includes native local bees, beneficial flies, moths, beetles, butterflies and even wasps. One third of our food supply depends on pollinators, but their numbers are declining. Gardeners can provide “sanctuary cities” for native pollinators, supporting and preserving them and our food supply. To do this, gardeners should dedicate patches of the landscape for pollinators to use as food and as habitat. read more

Planting for Pollinators

Blog Posts / Written WorkLeave a comment

Approximately 4,000 species of bees native to the United States have been identified and cataloged so far. Some are tiny, others large. They come in a wide variety of colors and build nests in many different ways. Most do not look like or act like the stereotypical honeybee. Because they do not appear how we expect them to, many native bees go about their lives without us even realizing they exist.

Some native bees are in trouble, though, and they need us to learn to recognize them and their needs. Several native Nevada bees are in decline, and gardeners can help by planting ornamental landscapes and edible gardens with native pollinators in mind. The native Nevada bees in trouble include: read more