Introduction

This fact sheet provides

helpful information to aid in

establishing suitable habitat

for native pollinators in

Mississippi. Thousands of

native pollinators can be found

in Mississippi. However,

special emphasis has been

placed on pollinators that may

be declining across their

native ranges. Native

pollinators are adapted to local

climate conditions, soils and

plant life, and require limited

management or maintenance.

The information provided

primarily focuses on how

interested landowners can

create and/or manage habitat

for native pollinators that are

commonly viewed in gardens

and natural habitats within

Mississippi. These pollinators

play a crucial role in

ecosystem functions and

agricultural food production.

Human activities have destroyed

and fragmented native pollinator

habitat. Interested landowners are

the key to increasing native

pollinator habitat on privately-

owned lands by providing the

habitat needs for specific groups of

pollinators (bees, butterflies,

moths, flies, beetles, and/or

hummingbirds). To attract native

pollinators, a habitat must have

adequate sources of food (foraging

habitat), nesting sites for

reproduction, shelter, and water.

Additional considerations are

landscape aspects, invasive/exotic

species control, and limiting

pesticide use. Habitat

characteristics and management practices vary depending on the type of native pollinator

targeted. However, there are a number of habitat planning approaches that will benefit

most, if not all, groups of native pollinators. These include using pesticides carefully and

providing habitat needs, including a source of water; appropriate vegetation; nesting sites;

and a balance of sun and shelter.

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Helping People Help the Land

Creating/Managing Native Pollinator Habitat

Use Pesticides Carefully

Pollinator Habitat planted with a mixture of

diverse native wildflower species. Photo By: Jan Thomas/Private Landowner

Provide Water

Pollinators need water for hydration and also for a source of dissolved minerals. Providing a

source of pesticide-free water, such as a birdbath, fountain, dripping faucet, small pond, or

mud puddle will attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. A

damp salt lick can be created for butterflies and bees using a dripping hose, drip irrigation

line, or birdbath. Mix a small amount of sea salt or wood ashes into the mud to provide

mineral requirements.

Pesticides, including insecticides and herbicides, do not discriminate between good species

and bad species of insects and plants. An insecticide applied to eliminate pest insects may

also kill valuable native pollinators. Poisoning of pollinators may result from contaminated

food (pollen and nectar), or directly from contact with pesticides on florets, leaves, soil, or

other materials. Insecticide use should be reduced and herbicide use should be kept to a

minimum to protect the full range of native pollinators. Landowners should choose non-

chemical solutions to combat insect problems when possible. If an insecticide is absolutely

necessary, use the least toxic chemical possible and apply in accordance to label directions.

When applying insecticides always treat plants at the time of day when pollinators are least

active or when flowers are not in bloom.

June 2016 NATIVE POLLINATORS: HABITAT

Plant Appropriate Vegetation

The easiest way to attract native pollinators is to plant habitats that contain a variety of native wildflowers, clump-forming grasses, trees, and shrubs that provide food (nectar, pollen, and/or larval host plants), nesting sites, and shelter. Important considerations for choosing appropriate vegetation include:

Flowering plants should be blooming throughout the spring, summer, and fall so nectar and pollen are available to pollinators for the entire growing season. It is also important to include flowering plants with different blooming times during the day. (Do not forget that night-blooming flowers will support moths.)

Perennials should be chosen over annuals. Perennials are generally richer in nectar and, because they live to bloom year after year, provide a more dependable food source than annuals.

Bees and butterflies have good color vision so choose flowers of several colors – particularly blues, purple, violet, orange, yellow and white.

Select plant varieties with sweet or strong fragrances.

Provide different shaped flowers, such as flat open-faced and tubular shaped flowers, to attract pollinators with different body sizes and mouthparts. Hummingbirds are highly attracted to red tubular shaped flowers.

Each species of flower should be grown in small clumps to better attract pollinators and improve foraging efficiency.

Incorporate a diverse mixture of trees, shrubs, and native clump-forming grasses with your flowering species to provide larval host plants for butterflies and nesting and overwintering sites for bees and other insects.

Although backyard pollinator gardens frequently use native and introduced plants, use native plants first since these are usually adapted to Mississippi’s growing conditions, local climate, soils, and the native pollinators with which they co-evolved. Native plants should comprise at least 75 percent of a habitat area. Pollinator habitat in large, natural environments should only include natives to prevent introducing invasive exotic plant species.

Invasive exotic species should not be planted because they will degrade pollinator and other wildlife habitat by interfering with the natural structure and composition of the ecosystem.

Provide a Balance of Sunlight and Shelter

Quality nesting sites are important. The majority of native bees nest in the ground, while some native bees nest in hollow twigs of dead shrubs or tunnels in dead trees left behind by wood-boring beetles. Bee nesting areas can be established on sunny, south facing slopes on well-drained, partially bare areas. Garden practices that inhibit or destroy nests, like the widespread use of plastic mulch or extensive tilling should be avoided or minimized. Several of the cavity-nesting bees will also use artificial nests, such as bundles of cut bamboo tubes or wooden blocks drilled with dead-end holes in a variety of diameters and depths. Habitat connectivity is another important concept in habitat planning, both nesting and foraging habitat should be close together. The average foraging distance for native bees ranges from approximately 50 feet to ½ mile.

More on Native Pollinators The Pollinator Partnership offers different planting guides tailored to specific ecoregions in the United States. Each guide

contains native plant and pollinator information. To get the guide specific to your ecoregion visit the Pollinator Partnership

website: www.pollinator.org

Establishing Habitats for Mississippi’s Native Pollinators, Mississippi Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation

Society and The Jamie L. Whitten Plant Materials Center operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service:

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/mspmctn9081.pdf

Attracting Native Pollinators, The Xerces Society Guide to Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies

www.xerces.org/

For more information on how to create habitat for native pollinators contact your local NRCS office:

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/ portal/nrcs/main/ms/contact/local/ .

Provide Nesting Habitat

Because all insect pollinators are cold-blooded, pollinator gardens should be in a sunny location and receive direct sunlight for at

least 6 to 8 hours a day. Southeast facing slopes are ideal because they receive morning sun for a quick warm-up but do not get

too hot during summer afternoons. Pollinator gardens should also be sheltered from prevailing winds by trees and shrubs. Conifer

trees or evergreen hedges are ideal because they provide both wind protection and a place for pollinators to rest overnight.

However these woody plants should be positioned so that they do not shade flowering pollinator plants since they need full

sunlight to bloom abundantly.

Nesting Leafcutter Bee

(Osmia sp.)

using small bamboo tubes.

Photo By Nancy Adamson/

NRCS - Xerces

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