The Pillage of the Pollinators

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 145

The Pillage of the Pollinators

Raise your hand if you love dandelions and chickweed. Well, I think many of us who have tried to maintained a well manicured lawn can at least share a story about the battle of the dandelions. I am almost ashamed to admit the lengths I have gone to in order to eliminate them from by yard when I owned property in South Carolina. 

Unknown to most people, these plants serve a vital function for the early Spring pollinators, especially bees. And in our over exuberance to maintain a pretty lawn, we are actually damaging our environment in more than one way. 

In this episode, I am going to discuss how pollinators are a valuable part of our ecosystem, what would happen if they disappear, and what all of us can do to help. So, stayed tuned for E145, The Pillage of the Pollinators.

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E145, which is called the Pillage of the Pollinators.  

What I want to focus on in this episode is the value provided by all of the active pollinators and how the services provided by these critters has a direct impact on our quality of life. Then I want to discuss the decline of the native pollinators, what would happed if we continue to lose them, and what all of us can do to help pollinators to live and thrive.  And the underlying reason I want to focus on these things in this episode is that the health of our pollinators is vital to building a sustainable future. 

One of the things that continues to concern me is that there are so many subtle things and changes that are occurring in our global ecosystem that are completely unnoticed by the majority of the world’s population.  In fact, the primary reason we know about many of these critical changes is because there are scientists around the world that make it their business to study, document, speculate, and even warn us of impending collapse of certain parts of our ecosystem and the ripple affects of such changes.  

As you likely know, the climate of our planet is changing. And we are truly in the early stages of understanding the numerous, far reaching effects of those changes. But I so often think that this is what you get when a global ecosystem is thrown out of balance. 

In fact just recently I attended a continuing education convention in Denver. I was sort of surprised to notice there were several lectures on the agenda that addressed either emerging diseases or further spread of certain diseases due to our warming climate. 

It is so easy to focus on the dramatic news stories of 500 year floods, devastating droughts and heat waves, raging forest fires, intense tornadoes and yet another hurricane. But, there are also more subtle things going on in the back drop that also affects our future especially our food security.  

We already know that due to our growing population our agriculture production is going to have to produce 70% more food by the middle of this century. But that is going to be a significant challenge and climate change adds to that challenge.

Climate change is making it more difficult to grow crops, raise animals, and harvest sea food in the traditional manner that we are accustomed too. But climate change is also affecting another vital link in our food production. And that link is the natural pollinators. Without these pollinators our agricultural systems, food supply, and ecosystems are in danger of collapsing. 

How Pollination Happens

Even though pollination is really a very simple process there is one vital step that must happen.   Flowering plants naturally have their own version both male and female reproductive organs. Pollen has to be transferred from the male parts to the female parts in order for the plant to reproduce. 

The natural pollinators visit these flowers in search of food such as nector and pollen. During their travels they manually transfer pollen from plant to plant. During their visit to the flower, pollen is physically transferred from the male to the female reproductive parts. In addition to this, pollen can also be transferred due to wind. 

However it happens, the plant then uses that pollen to produce a fruit or a seed. This transfer of genetic material is critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants. If this does not happen, plants cannot reproduce. 

Who are the pollinators? 

When most people think of pollination the first creature that comes to mind is bees.  However, there is quite a variety of natural pollinators. Birds, bats, butterflies, moths, bees, beetles, wasps, flies, lizards, and even small mammals serve as pollinators. 

In fact there are approximately 350,000 pollinators species worldwide. While the best known pollinators are bees, it is actually important to have a variety of pollinators. That diversity acts as an insurance policy in the event that certain pollinators are absent in some years.  In addition to that some plants and pollinators have co-evolved to have an interdependent relationship. This means that some plants may require certain types of pollinators to successfully reproduce. 

A perfect example is the native bee biodiversity in California. There are over 1600 native bees species in the state. Europe is home to an amazing diversity of pollinators. Approximately 65% of natural pollination in Australia is the result of native species. 

Bees are of course one of the most important species. They are responsible for pollinating over 110 important crops that we eat and use almost everyday.  That said there are also some other important pollinators. 

For example, the black and white ruffed lemur wins that award for the world’s greatest pollinator. They are quite nimble and are able to easily travel from tree to tree. They consume over 130 different fruit species. They open up flowers and reach in with their long snout and tongue which results in pollination. 

The honey opossum in Australia, which is about the size of a mouse, lives off of nectar. One of their favorite flowers is the eucalyptus.

The Blue-tailed day gecko in Africa is responsible for spreading seeds. 

And of course we can never forget about the humming bird. There are approximately 350 species of hummingbirds worldwide. They are in fact one of my favorite species and I look forward to seeing them every Spring. 

Why are pollinators important? 

Because of the manner in which plants reproduce, pollinators provide a valuable service to our ecosystems that mostly goes unnoticed. These pollinators play a crucial role in supporting global biodiversity. Natural pollinators provide services to over 180,000 species of plants and over 1,200 crops. Approximately 75% of the world’s flowering plants and 35% of our crop production is dependent on animal pollinators to reproduce. Furthermore, plants serve as the basic foundation of our global ecosystem. Consequently,  the pollinators are a keystone species that helps to hold the ecosystem together by supporting plant reproduction and biodiversity. 

And it is these plants that bring us countless vegetables, fruits, nuts, 50% of the worlds oils, fiber, and raw materials. But these diverse plants also help to prevent soil erosion and increase our carbon sequestration. Some scientists even estimate that one out of every three bites of food we take exists due to animal pollinators. 

Imagine a world without apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, melons, potatoes, vanilla, almonds, coffee and chocolate. This is why pollinators are so important. 

Our pollinators are in trouble. 

But, yet another challenge that we face in our ever changing world is that our pollinators are in trouble. 

Most likely you have at least heard something about how our bees are disappearing and the bats are dying off. At least in the United States more than half of the bat populations are in decline or listed as endangered. The monarch butterfly has declined by almost 99%. More than half of the population of native bee are in decline. Domestic bee populations have declined by 59%. Winter losses of beehives in the US and Europe have increased and these hives now have a failure rate up to 50%. 

In a 2017 German study, 1,500 samples were taken over 63 different sites. This study revealed that the biomass of flying insects in that area had declined by 75% over 25 years. 

So why is this happening? 

So the next logical question is why is this happening? Well, there is no doubt that this is the direct result of our modern world. 

Human activity has resulted in habitat loss, environmental contamination, the further spread of disease and parasites. The use of pesticides and the introduction of non-native species are also contributing factors. Many pollinators are also unable to find the right quantity or quality of food, that being nectar and pollen, from blooming plants within their flight range. Consequently, they are unable to survive. Presently, there simply are not enough pollinator friendly plants to support a healthy population.

In addition to all of this, climate change amplifies the effects of these stressors on pollinators, including potentially shifting the ranges of plant species and the timing of flowering. 

All of these factors have lead to the over all decline of populations of pollinators. 

How does this affect humans?

And yet unknown to the average person, this loss of pollinators has a dramatic affect on a global scale. Extensive research was performed using hundreds of farms across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America so that researchers could quantify what is called the “pollinator yield gap.” This research looked at dietary risk factors, economic loss, diet, chronic disease and international trade. 

What was discovered is that the insufficient populations of pollinators were responsible for significant present-day burdens of disease related to reduced healthy food consumption. This study looked at things such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer, all of which can be reduced with healthier diets. This study was the first to actually qualify the toll on human health due to insufficient wild pollinators. 

The conclusion is that the loss of global pollinators results in about 500,000 early deaths a year due to the reduction in healthy foods. Dr Samuel Myers at Harvard University, who was the author of the study, stated that, “This research establishes that loss of pollinators is already impacting health on a scale with other global health risk factors..”

Obviously from the results of this study, the global loss of pollinators is having multiple effects. And yet these affects are so subtle that they are literally out of sight out of mind. 

And of course that leads to the next part of this discussion. What can we do about it? 

How to Help Pollinators 

As it turns out, there are several easy things we can do to help the native pollinators. 

First and foremost, limit or completely eliminate the use of pesticides. A healthy, balanced garden with the appropriate plants and an abundance of pollinators will support natural beneficial insects which in turn will reduce the need for pest control.

The next easiest thing to do is to not destroy the early Spring food supply for the emerging pollinators. A good example of that is dandelions. These plants, which most people consider to be a pest, are actually the first food for bees that are emerging in the Spring. So, leave them in your yard. Besides, they also serve as a food source for people because the petals and leaves are actually edible and make a good addition to a salad. In fact, at the homestead, we now have a big area that is simply the dandelion garden. 

And in our desire to have pretty manicured lawns we completely forget that native plants are the way to go. But if you are planting a garden be sure to include some native plants. These plants are considered to be the best choice because they are adapted to the local climate, they have an abundance of nectar and pollen, they are low maintenance and provide food and shelter for local wildlife. 

Even if you live in the city or in an urban area you can add natural habitat areas to your lawn and garden. Believe it or not, studies have shown that suburbs and cites tend to have a higher diversity of natural pollinators, which means they are not phased by city life. It has also been shown that farms that are closer to natural habitats tend to have a higher yield.

Additionally, if you are going to have a pollinator friendly garden, think in terms of year round blooming. In other words, have a variety of plants that will bloom in Spring, Summer and Fall. In addition, offer a variety of heights, fragrances and color. This is the best way to attract pollinators on a long-term basis. 

It is also a good idea to plant in big batches. This makes it easier for pollinators to forage. In addition to that, add in some additional food and water sources. Things such as hummingbird feeders and bird baths. 

And while most of us want a clean, pristine garden, that is not the best way to provide shelter for pollinators. Leaving some debris can provide nesting areas. Leave some bare ground, dead wood, and even leaf litter. This can be especially important in early Spring and Fall when natural nesting areas can be scarce. 

Bats are also active pollinators and provide numerous other benefits. They reportedly eat as many as 600 insects an hour including mosquitoes, moths, beetles, crickets, among others. Bats actually save us billions of dollars a year in pest control methods because they eat so many insects. 

You can attract them to your property by adding bat boxes as well as providing food and water. Bat boxes should be 15 to 20 feet off the ground and water should be within half a mile. And just so you know, it has been shown that less than 1% of bats actually carry Rabies. 

But, don’t stop at protecting pollinators in your own yard or on your own farm or homestead. You can also teach others about the importance of protecting pollinator by showing them what you have accomplished in order to attract bees, butterflies, bats, and other animals. You can also take things a step further by supporting local farmers and bee keepers. 

Summary

At the end of the day, the average person is completely unaware of the silent but extremely important work that is performed by our native pollinators. Most people are also unaware of all the small things that can be done to attract them to your home. 

Since habitat loss is one of the greatest threats to native pollinators, habitat protection and restoration is one of the primary ways we can make a difference. All you have to do is provide food, water, and shelter. Reduction and even complete elimination of the use of pesticides also plays an important role. 

Despite the fact that I have lived on my homestead property for over 25 years, I am still surprised at how I continuously learn of new things I can do to make that place more wildlife friendly. In the Spring I am going to build several owl boxes and place them in a variety of places on the property. I am also going to do some additional fire mitigation to encourage the growth of native plants. In addition to that, we are going to build more bee boxes and flower gardens. After all, one of the best things about the homestead is all the critters that we see. And I now know there are even more things we can do to attract all the fun things we enjoy seeing every Spring. 

In the resources section of the transcript for this episode I am going to include links to several resources on a variety of things each of us can do to attract and protect our pollinators. So please take advantage of those resources because protecting our pollinators is yet another thing we can do to secure a sustainable future.  

In closing I want to leave you with one last thought. Most of us have likely heard about the massive decline in our bee populations and what would happen if there is a total loss of our bees because they are such valuable pollinators. There are some that believe if that happens that would spell the ultimate doom for humanity. 

But I think the more likely scenario is that we may still be here but our daily diets would change to something with significantly less variety. So while this may not spell out the doom of humanity it does point out the fact that we need to think about the long chain of events that got us here in the first place and how we can avoid it. After all, if we get to the point of losing all of our native bee populations, that is going to be the least of our worries. Because at that point we are going to be living in a world that is so soiled and toxic that we are going to have much bigger problems. 

It is abundantly clear that we have to do something to secure a sustainable future while we still have a choice. We all have to commit to being one of those thoughtful committed citizens that will be a part of changing the world. 

Well folks, that is all for this week. I certainly hope you have enjoyed this episode and it encourages you to go outside and take one more step toward a sustainable future.  

This is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future. 

Resources

Best Early Spring Flowering Plants to Attract Pollinators

11 Flowers that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden

Planting Pollinator Friendly Gardens

Seven Things You Can Do For Pollinators