Jay Watson
The rusty patched bumble bee is officially listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
It’s a simple fact: without pollinators there is no food. Without food, there are no living things.
So, how are pollinators faring currently in Wisconsin?
Not great, says, P.J. Liesch, director of UW-Madison’s insect diagnostic lab. Bees, the best and best known pollinators, are in decline. And not just honeybees. Wisconsin has at least a dozen types of bumble bees and about 400 species of wild bees. All of them pollinate. Wasps go for nectar and have a fair amount of hair that helps pollination by holding grains of pollen. In fact flies, beetles, moths and butterflies — any insect that goes for nectar — can pollinate. Many of them are seeing declining populations.
There are multiple causes. The state used to have more prairie and significantly less monocropping. What wild areas remain are more fragmented now. Pesticides are killing or weakening beneficial insects, making them more prone to viruses, bacterial and fungal diseases. The use of Roundup in agriculture eliminates plants that are insect food sources. (For insects, says Liesch, “weeds” are breakfast, lunch and dinner.)
In urban areas, manicured lawns do the same. For bees, neonicotinoid insecticides (used extensively in agriculture), are especially dangerous. In urban use, they are the pesticides that are likely to be titled “year-long.”
The decline in wild bees is especially concerning. Unlike honeybees, which live in colonies, wild bees are solitary — each female has her own nest and if it’s destroyed or she is killed, there are no others to continue caring for her eggs. According to Eva Lewandowski, citizen-based monitoring coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, several native bumble bees have been declared “species of greatest conservation needs” and one is considered “utterly endangered” by the U.S. Wildlife and Fishery Department.
The population of monarch butterflies has declined by 90 percent, she says.
Liesch explains that habitat loss and pesticide use have reduced the numbers of milkweed plants, where the monarch larvae grow. As monarchs migrate, this problem accompanies them all the way from Wisconsin through Texas and Mexico. With fewer flowering plants and more lawn and grass, the travel is perilous.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
But humans can help. On the monarchs’ migratory route many people are planting flowers, including milkweed. In urban areas, “A lot of folks are starting to have a conversation about things like natural lawns, with plants in them, or switching to natural gardens. Maybe even just use a corner of the lawn as a pollinator corner,” says Liesch.
Liesch’s advice: Keep a diversity of plants in your backyard. Various pollinators emerge at different times so there’s a need for a range of food sources throughout the season. Some pollinators are picky and will use only one plant, so have as many plants as possible.
“I am a fan of going with native plants that the native pollinators are used to,” he says. Some of the more flashy flowers were bred to attract humans but may have very little nectar. People can also volunteer to plant natives on public properties, like parks.
Liesch also recommends reducing or eliminating pesticides in your yard. If you absolutely must use them, try to use those less dangerous for bees and use them when they are not active. Honeybees, for example, are active in the morning, so use pesticide in evening.
Several area nurseries have programs aimed at helping people with yards to augment their pollinator-helpful plantings. Good Oak Ecological Services, 4606 Pflaum Road, has a special monarch garden kit that they can install or yard owners can do it themselves. It includes 64 native flowers and grasses, including up to 20 milkweeds. Agrecol Native Nursery, 10101 North Casey Road, Edgerton, sells native plants and seeds including milkweed and butterfly weed. Some local garden centers like Jung’s stock common native pollinators like milkweed and butterfly weed, too.
More efforts to raise awareness are being made by several area organizations. The Madison chapter of Wild Ones works to spread awareness of pollinator-friendly plants. The Arboretum will hold its yearly Native Gardens conference Sept. 18, and a free pollinator walk, “In Search of Butterflies,” is slated for July 8, 1:30-2:30 p.m. At Olbrich Gardens, a class on “Late Season Combinations for Pollinators” about planting to help for late season pollinators will be on July 25 (register by July 18 at olbrich.org).
Liesch also recommends the pamphlet, “The Wisconsin Pollinator Protector Plan,” available at datcp.wi.gov/Documents/PPP, specifically the section for homeowners and backyard gardeners. And discover DNR citizen-based monitoring projects at dnr.wi.gov/volunteer/citizenbasedmonitoring.html.