Over the past few years, we have been reading and hearing more and more about the importance of pollinators.  

There are many different types of pollinators, from buzzing bees, interesting beetles, colourful butterflies and moths, to songbirds.

They play a huge role in supporting all kinds of life, including humans.

Even though pollinators are small in size, they are powerful!   

When someone says the word “pollinators,” the first species that probably comes to mind is the honey bee, which is indeed a pollinating insect — but, not one that is native to Canada and not even the most efficient pollinator we have. 

How many bee species can you name? Maybe four or five, if you think hard enough about it.  

Did you know that Canada is home to 855 species of bees, including about 400 species of bees in Ontario?

One of the most economically significant bees in Niagara, and one that you probably have not heard much about, is the blue orchard mason bee. 

It is one of the earliest bees to emerge in the spring, as early as mid-April. 

They are responsible for pollinating many of our local orchards. Without them, we would not be able to enjoy the bounty of fruit being harvested right now.

Just as a comparison, it would take anywhere from anywhere from 10,000 to 250,000 honey bees to pollinate one acre of fruit trees. Meanwhile, it would only take 250 mason bees to pollinate that same acre of trees. 

These is also the sweat bee, carpenter bee, leafcutter bee and at least 10 species of bumble bees in Ontario. 

How often, while enjoying fresh local fruit, do you think about the fact that all of the flowers on the tree need pollination in order for fruit to grow?

Or, what about all those wonderful vegetables you harvest from your garden? Do you think that they just magically appear?

It is estimated that 75 per cent of the food we eat has been pollinated.  

As we all know, the population of bees (not just honey bees), butterflies and other pollinators have been on a steady decline.

Some of them are now considered endangered species or, in the case of the rusty patched bumble bee, extinct. 

Climate change threatens native bees by creating conditions favourable to some invasive species, which leads to the spread of disease and increased competition. 

The primary cause of the bumble bee’s population decline is habitat loss and land fragmentation, along with pesticide use. In other words, human behaviour is driving the decline. 

Bees are part of the biodiversity on which we all depend for our survival.

The good news is that we all can make a difference in our own gardens.

The best thing that we can do to reverse the decline of bees, butterflies and other insects is to be planting varieties that attract and feed them.  

Planting native varieties are the best plants to start with. These are plants that the insects and birds are already familiar with. 

Plants such as coneflowers (Echinacea), cardinal flowers (Lobelia), beardtongue (Penstemon), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Joe-Pye weed (Eupotorium), false sunflowers (Heliopsis) and sneezeweed (Helenium) are great varieties to investigate. 

Also, it is important to plant varieties that do more than provide food for the pollinators, but also sustains their life cycle, such as what milkweed and butterfly weed do for monarch butterflies.  

This doesn’t mean that you need to replace every plant in your garden, but when you are making a new garden or maybe removing an invasive species from your yard, consider replacing it with a plant that will attract this precious pollinator. 

If we each add a couple pollinator-loving plants, it will make a positive difference.

If we feed a pollinator, they will in turn provide us with the food we need to survive. 

It is a win-win proposition.  

Joanne Young is a Niagara-on-the-Lake garden expert and coach. See her website at joanneyoung.ca