Encouraging Other Pollinators

Bees and butterflies have been on the decline in recent years and last year’s drought coupled with the heatwave have meant numbers dwindled further. Insects generally play a key species in our ecosystems so we should encourage them into our gardens, not just bees and butterflies. There are plenty of other pollinators too.

Having been on the planet more than 350 million years, longer than dinosaurs and flowering plants, there could be as many as 10 million species on earth, although only 1 million species have been recorded, with 24,000 of those in Britain.

If I said slugs to you, would you think of these as pests or pollinators? Chances are pests, but in actual fact they can be pollinators too by picking up pollen grains from one flower and transferring to the next. The majority also break down organic material and serve as food sources for birds, frogs, ground beetles and hedgehogs. It is only a few species that have given them a bad name.

Beetles, not often thought as pollinators, evolved early in this role by pollinating Magnolia’s. The black and yellow longhorn beetle, at the larger end of the scale, moves from flower to flower in sunny woodland and hedgerow. Then there is the almost microscopic, pollen beetles at just 2-3mm in size.

Moths, often thought of as night flying and less colourful than butterflies. The Jersey Tiger Moth is just one of the daytime moths and a regular visitor to my garden. Striking black and cream forewings open to reveal bright orange underwings. Plants to attract day flying moths are Limonium, Buddleja, Centranthus rubra and Lychnis.

Ideal plants to grow for encouraging a range of pollinators into your garden are Knautia, Thyme, Origanum vulgare and Echium vulgare. Honeysuckle too is a great plant, offering butterflies and bumblebees nectar, berries for birds and if you are lucky enough to have a dormouse then the flowers are a food source.

Overall though, probably the biggest single thing anyone can do in their garden to encourage more insects in is to not use any chemicals. Having gardened organically for the last 25 years it is amazing to see how beneficial it is to be chemical free by the diverse range of wildlife in my garden.