There are 4,000 species of native bees in North America.
Photo by Martha Wirth Photography
>> Pollinator Gardening As a gardener, the pollination and eventual fruiting of your fruits and vegetables is of utmost importance. There are a wealth of plants, designs and structures that you can apply in your garden that will attract a range of pollinators and create a healthy ecological habitat. Find out more: “Bee Friendly Gardening” at nspiremagazine.com . N
they have a good side as well in the ecology of our world. >> Other Pollinators Birds, particularly hummingbirds, are key wildflower pollinators in our world. They transfer pollen on their bills as they flutter from flower to flower feeding on the sweet nectar. In tropical regions, they are important for the propagation of food crops like bananas, papayas and nutmeg. Bats have a creepy reputation, but when they feed on the nectar night-blooming flowers, they end up transporting pollen on their furry faces and bodies. In one night,
they can pollinate 30 flowers and are responsible for a lot of cross- pollination. Their preferred flowers? Agave, cocoa, bananas, mangoes, guavas, eucalyptus – around 528 plant species. Their contribution to the production of food is substantial. Other small animals, like lemurs, chipmunks, squirrels, mice and lizards, are also important to the pollination cycle. About 85 plant species in the world provide sweet, sweet nectar for rodents, lizards and other small vertebrate pollinators. They carry the pollen on their fur and help create new life as they sustain their own.
Scan code to read this article online and see more photos of our busy little friends.
30 NSPIREMAGAZINE.COM
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease