Homeowners
Pollinator health
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What NCDA&CS is doing
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How you can help
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EPA Protecting Bees and Other Pollinators from Pesticides Chatham Mills “Pollinator Paradise” Garden - N.C. Cooperative Extension Pollinator Protection - NCSU, Center for IPM Plants for pollinators (pdf) - Pollinator Partnership |
Coordinating with other agencies and organizations to develop a N.C. Pollinator Protection Plan Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division educates consumers and farmers on proper pesticide usage. The Agronomic Division helps homeowners improve management of land to maintain effective habitat areas. Division of Soil and Water Conservation helps landowners incorporate pollinator habitat areas into best managament plans through consultations and cost-share programs. |
For Homeowners: Be Aware of Pollinators Building Wild Bee Houses - Joel Gardner |
What are Pollinators and why should you care?
Pollinators are bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other animals that feed from flowers, transferring pollen in the process. Nearly 80% of all flowering plants need pollinators to transfer pollen between flowers in order to produce seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Approximately one out of every three bites of food you eat depends on the work of a pollinating animal.
Pollination also produces seeds and fruits that feed birds and other wildlife. Many blooming plants depend on pollinators for survival, and globally many pollinators are declining from a variety of causes. When you use pesticides you could unintentionally harm pollinators and other beneficial insects. Your careful actions can prevent harming pollinators.
What is a Pesticide? A pesticide is a substance used to control unwanted plants, insect pests, rodents, or plant diseases. Pesticides include herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, and fungicides. Because insects are the most prevalent pollinators, insecticides are the primary pesticide group to threaten pollinators. Herbicides, such as Roundup have little to no direct effect on pollinators.
Provide native plants for pollinator habitat
Consider these and other native plants for your landscape
Aster Species
Autumn Sneezeweed
Bidens Species
Black-Eyed Susan
Blanket Coneflower
Blue Vervain
Clasping Cornflower
Common Evening Primrose
Hairy Beardtongue
Ironweed
Lance-Leaf Coreopsis
Liastris Species
Maximilian Sunflower
Milkweeds
Ohio Spiderwort
Ox-Eye Sunflower
Plains Coreospsis
Purple Coneflower
Spotted Beebalm
Swamp Sunflower
Solidago Species
VA Mountain Mint
Wild Senna
