Be a Garden Hero for Pollinators this Summer

Not all heroes wear capes, some have green thumbs and help the environment. These heroes know how to plant a garden that supports honey bees and other pollinators. They are called garden heroes.

Garden heroes understand how important pollinators are to our environment. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than ¾ of the world’s flowering plants rely on honey bees and other pollinators. Humans also depend on pollinators; pollinators help produce one out of every three bites of food Americans eat.

What is most alarming is that the honey bee population has decreased 50% since 1940! With the decline of pollinators, we need to do our part in supporting honey bees and other pollinators. See the tips below to become a garden hero for your local pollinators.

• Choose a variety of flowers and flowering plants that are native to your region as local pollinators are particularly adapted to these.
• Plant flowers in clusters so they are more easily noticed and accessible to pollinators.
• Consider including exotic plants in your garden as some can produce large amounts of nectar.
• Choose flowers that will bloom in different seasons.
• Plant flowers that bloom at night to attract other pollinators, like moths that are active in the evening.
• Avoid hybridized plants that offer less pollen.

Follow these tips to become a garden hero. Not only will you help the environment, but you will have a beautiful garden all summer long, day and night.

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.wil-kil.com/pest-library/profile/stinging-insects.

About Shane McCoy:
Shane McCoy is the Technical Training Director for Wil-Kil Pest Control, a regional pest management company providing quality pest management for residential and commercial properties throughout the Upper Midwest. As an Associate Certified Entomologist with over 18 years of experience in pest management, Shane’s blog provides expert tips and tricks, timely information and solutions for coexisting with the insect life and critters around us. To learn more about Wil-Kil Pest Control, please visitwww.wil-kil.com. You can also follow the company onFacebook and Twitter (@WilKilPest).