THE WILD SIDE
By Maria de Bruyn
Columnist
As trees lose their leaves and many plants finish blooming, it may seem counterintuitive to pay extra attention to pollinators. Their key role in our natural environment — transporting pollen powder with male sperm cells from one plant to another for vegetative reproduction — has mostly finished for now. Nevertheless, autumn is a vital season for them.
Pollinators include some lizards, birds (e.g., the ruby-throated hummingbird), and mammals (e.g., bats, rodents, and opossums). Arthropods, however, are our most numerous pollinators, including bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, flies, and beetles. These creatures will now be overwintering in our natural areas.
In recent years, such areas have decreased, so it’s important to promote yards and gardens to accommodate and nurture their life cycles. Hence, the growing advocacy to “Leave your leaves,” as many pollinators spend their winters there.
Top left: honeybee. Top right: bumblebees sleeping on goldenrod. Bottom right: pollen-laden bumblebee. Bottom right: bumblebees sleeping on coneflower. All photos by ©Maria de Bruyn
Bees are often the first creatures that come to mind as pollinators. Because they and wasps sting in self-defense — and some people have serious allergic reactions — there may be a tendency to drive them away. However, experts at NC State University point out:
“One common misconception is that the majority of bees are aggressive and likely to sting. In reality, most bees are docile and only sting when they feel threatened or provoked. The risk of a sting from bees in your yard or garden is very small, especially with a bit of advanced knowledge. You can safely get within a few inches of a bee visiting a flower and not get stung. Bees are focused on foraging for nectar and pollen to sustain their colonies.”
There is also information available on how to recognize the types of bees that might pose a problem for susceptible individuals: bees ranked by danger levels. North Carolina is home to over 500 species of native bees, in addition to the European honeybees that are both wild and found in neighborhood beehives. Bees’ furry bodies are easily covered with pollen powder, enabling them to carry the grains to other plants.
Not everyone knows that wasps and hornets also play a role in pollination. Figs depend on wasps for pollination as do some orchids and other plants. In addition to 100 bee species in North Carolina, some wasps also overwinter in uncut plant stems — a good reason to leave them alone in the winter, even though you might find them unattractive. Unlike bees, who are strictly vegetarian, wasps and hornets also eat other bugs, including some that can damage our vegetables and flowers.
Top left: Eastern cicada killer wasp. Top right: paper wasp. Bottom left: Gold-marked thread-waisted wasps. Bottom center and right: thread-waisted wasps. All photos by ©Maria de Bruyn.
Many of us learned about butterflies as pollinators, but not everyone is aware of the importances of moths in this regard. They may even facilitate vegetative diversity more than bees because they tend to forage over greater distances. Studies in the United Kingdom indicate that they may be more efficient pollinators as well.
Top left: ailanthus webworm moth. Top center: ironweed clearwing moth. Top right: snowberry clearwing moth. Bottom left: fall webworm moth caterpillar. Bottom center: cecropia moth. Bottom right: banded tussock moth caterpillar. All photos by ©Maria de Bruyn.
Two types of insects are often overlooked as pollinators. The tubular mouth parts of flies are shorter than those of other insects so they pollinate plants with more complex flowers. You may have mistaken some hoverflies for small bees due to their similar body shapes and colors.
Our most overlooked pollinators are the beetles. Pollen sticks to their bodies as they eat through flowers and leaves, leaving behind frass and small plant bits. This has earned them the name of “mess and soil pollinators.” Some plants such as magnolias and spicebush, especially depend on their pollination services.
Top left: Eastern calligrapher hover fly. Top right: syrphid fly. Bottom left: eyed click beetle. Bottom center: goldenrod soldier beetles. Bottom right: delta flower scarab beetle. All photos by ©Maria de Bruyn.
If you want to help our buggy and birdy neighbors, consider adding native plants now to nearby natural areas. Plants with blooms and fruit available in October through March (with January being a “barren” month) include American holly, Joe Pye weed, goldenrods, sunflowers, frost aster, butterfly weeds, Black-eyed Susan and columbine. The NC Wildlife Federation has a bloom calendar available to help you choose.
Also, consider making your winter yard a haven for overwintering insects. Besides leaving or mulching leaves and not cutting plant stems, leave some areas of exposed and undisturbed soil to provide habitat for ground-nesting bees. Bumble bees can use burrows no longer used by chipmunks. The following websites provide useful information and ideas for creating pollinator gardens.
- NC pollinator guide
https://ncwf.org/wp-content/uploads/NCWF-Pollinator-ID-Guide.pdf - Provide Nesting Habitat for Native Bees Through Plant Stems in your Garden
https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-stems-for-bees/ - Building wild bee houses
https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/structural-pest-control-and-pesticides/pollinator/building-wild-bee-houses-pdf/open - NC pollinator toolki
https://ncbg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/963/2019/04/NC-Pollinator-Toolkit.pdf - Top 25 Native Pollinator Plants for North Carolina
https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020-Top-25-Pollinator-Plants.pdf - NC pollinator garden guide
https://nc-biodiversity.com/sites/default/files/resources/2023-03/Pollinator_Garden_Guide.pdf - Getting Started on Your Native Species Garden
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/north-carolina/stories-in-north-carolina/native-plant-gardening-tips/ - Transitioning from Traditional Lawn to Native Planting
https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/Wisconsin_TurfGrassConversionToNativePlantsTutorial_FINAL_2024.pdf
Consider sending a photo of your efforts to The Local Reporter. Sharing news about what you did to promote pollination may inspire other community residents.
Maria de Bruyn participates in nature-oriented citizen science projects and volunteers for the Orange County Senior Center and non-profit groups removing invasive vegetation and planting native plants. See more of her photos on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bruynmariade/) and in blogs at https://mybeautifulworldblog.com.
This reporter can be reached at Info@TheLocalReporter.press
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