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POLLINATORS are the insects that pollinate flowers
You know about bees and butterflies, but did you know that there are over 1000 species of pollinating insects in Canada? Together they are an indispensable natural resource, and their daily work is essential for over a billion dollars of apples, pears, cucumbers, melons, berries, and many other kinds of Canadian farm produce. These beneficial insects are under pressure from loss of habitat, loss of food sources, disease, and pesticides. As insect populations are threatened, so are the fruit and vegetable produce, and the wild ecosystems that depend on these pollinators.
We need volunteers in the Kitchener-Waterloo area who are willing to grow six Purplestem Aster plants and make some observations of their flowers and seeds. If you would like to be a citizen scientist please email info at pollinationcanada.ca for more details
International Pollinator Week is June 18th to June 24th 2012 ... stay tuned for more information!
Introducing ... BEE FRIENDLY FARMING® (BFF) in NORTH AMERICA
The use of this logo indicates that your agricultural practices encourage and improve pollinator health. To self-certify and find out more, click here Partners for Sustainable Pollination.
R E S O U R C E S for Bee Friendly Farming®(Gardening too!)
Most of Canada is included within the Pollinator Conservation Resource Centre regions. As long as you don't live in the Yukon, Northwest or Nunavut Territories, you can click on the region that you live in. This links you to a page which further expands upon the following categories:
Although these regional lists and guides are currently specific to the United States, there is much overlap with the Canadian provinces. There is quite a bit of valuable and general information to be gleaned off these links. As a Canadian applicant, you will find information here about plants that attract pollinators, and you can then use the Evergreen Plant Database to further determine if that plant grows in your region, as well as other information.
Additionally, we have provided a number of resources for Canadian BFF applicants, listed below.
Plants That Attract Pollinators
Evergreen Ecozones -- in combination with -- Evergreen Native Plant Database
If you really want to be more specific in matching plants in the ecozone that you live in, the Evergreen Native Plant Database is the place for you! First determine your ecozone on this map. Then choose the "Advanced Search" option in the Native Plant Database. You may then indicate your ecozone and scroll further down, under the Miscellaneous heading, where you can check off "Attracts Wildlife" and choose which wildlife to specify.
Guelph's Pollination Park plant list
Canadian Wildlife Federation pollinator plant list
Trees, Shrubs and Plants for Pollinators
North American Native Plant Society catalogue
More Specific Mapping Tools for Regions in Canada
Natural Resources Canada: topographic maps, agriculture maps, snow cover, geology, and more
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: plant hardiness zones of Canada
Natural Resources Canada: land cover in Canada
Natural Resources Canada: Ecozones map
Guides to Becoming Pollinator-Friendly
Pollination Canada: Native Bees for Farmers
Xerces Society: Farming with Pollinators
Pollination Canada
Canadian Wildlife Federation: Plant for Pollinators
North American Native Plant Society
Canadian Geographic article Plight of the Bumblebee
Canadian Museum of Nature, link to Peter Kevan video
Pollinator Conservation Digital Library
The Pollinator Conservation Digital Library also lists plants and their pollinators. However, you generally need to know the Latin name of the flora you are searching; or you need to know the Latin name of a particular bee to find a list of plants that they like.
Making Native Bee Nests
Native bees such as Mason, Leafcutter, Mining, Sweat and Bumblebees are important and interesting pollinators you can attract to your garden by providing habitat that can be purely functional, or can double as garden art!
When constructing native bee nests, we do advise you on two aspects:
1) do your best to use natural materials, found outside, but
2) do not use cedar wood, as it has insecticidal properties (hence the reason it lasts so well in outdoor construction).
Consider drilling holes in stumps or logs from a felled tree... collect twigs and branches...hang bundles of bamboo or hollow shrub stems...build small gravel or rock piles in sunny locations. When collecting your natural materials, ensure there is not a native bee or two nesting there already! If you’d prefer to reclaim rather than gather wood, perhaps there is a college or shop in your neighbourhood that generates wood waste, in the form of small pieces of 2x4 (not pressure treated!). Generally, you can pick this up for free.
The following links will take you to both basic and more elaborate plans that may inspire you to design your own "insect hotels!"
General information on Native Nesting Sites
Bee Gardens
Pollination Guelph’s Native Nests
Xerces Society’s Native Nests
NAPPC’s Home-Made Sweet Homes
Blue Orchard Mason Bee home
Leafcutter Bee home
Insect Hotels
Elaborate Insect Habitat from Britain
Scroll down this David Suzuki page and watch Lindsay Coulter “Queen of Green” give you some pointers
Watch this YouTube video showing German Insect Hotels
Watch Leafcutter Bees using these British nests
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