Bees and Pollinators

Unless youu2019ve been living under a rock, youu2019re well aware that the populations of our native bees, butterflies,u00a0and other insect pollinators have been declining for several decades. A study from January, 2019, indicatesu00a040% of insect species are threatenedu00a0with extinction. Perhaps youu2019ve noticed fewer butterflies and bees in your ownu00a0backyard?

First, no insects means no food. One out of every three bites of food you eat is due to pollinators. About three-fourths of all flowering plants are pollinated by insects, as well as the crops that produceu00a0more than one-thirdu00a0of the worldu2019s food supply. Importantly, insects are the bedrock of our entire ecosystem (birds, lizards, frogs, and other wildlife). Without insects, birds and fish and small mammals decline; if they decline, the entire food web isu00a0affected.

u201cNativeu201d plants are simply plants that occur naturally in the region where they evolved.u00a0Native insects co-evolved with them, as did native birds and wildlife. Itu2019s one bigu00a0ecosystem!