7 Ways to Attract More Native Pollinators to Your Garden

As gardeners, most of us know the importance of pollinators. If you want to grow successfully, having these insects and animals come to visit is the key to bountiful blooms and harvests of many of the fruits and vegetables we grow. They play a crucial role in the food chain from an early stage, and without them, we would be in a world of trouble. 

Native pollinators, in particular, are essential because many plants rely on a specific creature to reproduce and thrive. Many are specially adapted to that particular plant, like squash bees. Many types of squash are native to North America, and these special bees are their ideal pollinators. 

Avoid Using Chemicals

The greatest threat to our native pollinators is the use of systemic insecticides, so we must attract them with chemical-free environments. We know that these chemicals are harmful to humans, so naturally, they are even more detrimental to small insects and animals, especially those that feed on their plant nectar and pollen. 

Neonicotinoids are one of the greatest threats to these creatures, so avoid purchasing flowering plants treated with these chemicals. They’re there to prevent nuisance pests from eating your flowers, but they also kill the beneficial insects that control those pest populations in the first place. They’re bad all around. 

It’s not enough to avoid plants treated with neonics, though. You should avoid using other pesticides in your yard and around your house. This can be challenging for many people, but there are workarounds. They just take a bit more effort.

I live in Florida, and I don’t know if you’re familiar with palmetto bugs, but they are basically large roaches with wings. I know, horrifying. Unless you have an exterminator come around regularly, they will show up. Along with the roaches, the pesticides will keep bees and butterflies at bay, or worse, cause them harm. 

My solution of choice is a mixture of boric acid and cat food. You can use diatomaceous earth this way, as well. If you have pets, this is safer for them, though the boric acid won’t kill your pet, it will make them sick to their stomach. 

Mix the boric acid or diatomaceous earth (DE) with the cat food and place it near areas where bugs can enter. Under sinks is good, and near entrances. The insects eat it, it kills them, and other insects eat the dead ones, killing them too. It’s highly effective and doesn’t harm the environment or your family either. 

Outdoors, if you need to use insecticides, opt for more natural solutions, such as neem oil or a solution of dish soap and water. Spray affected plants in the evening, after pollinators go home for the day. Avoid spraying anything that is in bloom. Wait for them to stop flowering. 

Plant Native Nectar and Pollen Species

Avoiding pesticides is a good way to make your space more hospitable. Adding native, flowering plants is the way to attract pollinators to that hospitable garden. Much of what makes these plants important is the time of year they bloom and the number of flowers they produce. 

Natives are typically easier to care for, as they are adapted to the natural resources available in your region. They require less water and actually help clean the water supply. They also help reduce pollution and contribute to healthier soil. 

If you plant a variety of natives in your garden, you will have an abundance of nectar and pollen during most seasons. Pollinators will come to and stick around places where they can find food easily and reliably. 

Plant Butterfly Host Plants

I love seeing butterflies in my yard, so I do everything I can to attract them. The single most effective way to attract butterflies is by planting their larval host plants. Every species has one or more, and where these are present, they will stay close by. 

A larval host is the food source for a specific butterfly’s larvae (caterpillars). Sometimes there will be more than one, sometimes it’s exclusively one genus or species. They aren’t necessarily huge bloomers, though many do flower, but this is where a butterfly will lay her eggs. 

Milkweed is the sole larval food for the Monarch butterfly. There are dozens of species native to North America, and it is essential to plant those that are native to your specific region. The species that are native to your area provide what those butterflies need at the particular time they are present in that region. 

Find out what butterflies are native to your area, and what their larval hosts are. Then, plant these next to other native pollen and nectar sources. The flowers will draw them in and the hosts will keep them coming back. 

Flowers for All Seasons

This goes along with planting natives, and if you grow enough, you probably won’t have to worry about it. If you’re just getting started, consider the bloom time of what you add to your garden. 

Add things that will provide a constant source of food for pollinators. Focus primarily on times when few plants are in bloom. Black-eyed Susans are fabulous for feeding local bees. Bidens alba is also popular in my yard. The bumblebees love them. 

Now, I am going to be controversial here, but I’m also a beekeeper, so I don’t follow all the rules. However, I plant flowers that are non-native in my region, simply because they bloom for a long time and provide a good food source. 

Many of the native pollinators in your area are also native to Central America, so planting flowers like cosmos, zinnias, and dahlias will help attract them as well. Just be careful about things that are invasive. Keep these in containers or avoid them altogether. They can outcompete natives for resources. 

Skip Hybrids

I won’t say that you shouldn’t grow any hybrids. Only the ones you buy specifically to feed the pollinators shouldn’t be hybrids. When you buy a hybrid, you’re buying a plant bred for specific traits like flower color and disease resistance. 

While these may be attractive and colorful, they often contain less nectar and pollen. Some are even sterile. They don’t provide a good food source, so when it comes to hybrids, they’re fine for your containers, but they’re not valuable for the garden. 

Provide Water

Flying from flower to flower is hard work for little bees and butterflies. They get energy from nectar and protein from pollen, but they still need water to stay hydrated. Adding a water source is a great way to keep them coming back to your garden.

All animals will seek out homes where they have consistent access to a water source. For these small creatures, a shallow source is best. Use a birdbath, or a dish or bowl with pebbles in it, so they have a spot to rest. 

Bees like water with a little stink to it. Sounds funky, but they find water by smell rather than by sight. If you avoid cleaning it out too regularly, the bees will be better able to locate it. I have three bird baths situated in different areas of my yard. During the summer, they are always a hot spot for not just birds, but also pollinators. 

Provide Nesting Areas 

Finally, bees, butterflies, birds, and bats will stick around if they have a place to sleep, and in some cases, a place to store food. Many bees are nest-making and live in groups. They need a spot where they can safely create a nest to raise their young. 

Some bees dig holes in the dirt to make underground nests. Leaving some exposed dirt will make it easier for them to access them. Loose soil in spaces that receive a lot of sun is best. 

Piles of rocks, wood, and hollow stems are other locations that they might choose to nest in. Leaf litter is where many animals spend the winter hibernating, so leave your leaves for the winter and don’t bag them until the weather warms up.

Leave some areas of the yard lawn-free. Turf grass is dense and difficult for ground-dwelling bees to nest in. You can also purchase or create a nesting box with materials that you find around the garden.