There are many different types of insects in Maryland, and many of them are pollinators. When you think of a pollinator you probably think of the European Honey Bee. While these are wonderful pollinators and are widely used for agricultural purposes, they are not native. However, Maryland has over 400 species of native bees and over 150 species of native butterflies. There are also beetles, moths, ants, and wasps. And do you know what they all have in common? They are all pollinators!

It is nice to know that there are so many different types of native pollinators that live here. So why don’t we use them for agriculture? Well, after the introduction of the European Honey Bees and other non-native species; populations have been steadily declining. This combined with habitat loss has presented a real threat to our local pollinators.

So what can you do to help? A great way is to plant native plant species in your garden, windowsill, or yard. Another good way is to build insect hotels. These are wooden boxes with hollowed out wooden dowels inside or just lots of places to hide. These provide a habitat or resting area for native insects. You can also simply avoid swatting at or crushing insects on purpose. Or avoid using pesticides or herbicides on your lawn. You can visit this link to learn more.

Source: https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/habitat/wawhatsthebuzz.aspx