The insect world is currently in decline, and it’s estimated that we’ve already lost around a quarter of all the insects throughout the globe thanks to climate change and pollution.
Pollinators are vitally important for the life cycle of thousands of different plant species, many of which would extinct within a generation without access to their native pollinators.
Fortunately, if you happen to have a garden and an open mind, it’s quite easy to start bringing more pollinators into your space. This will help keep your plants happy, will provide a safe haven for animals of all shapes and sizes, and help to bolster the declining number of arthropods and birds in the ecosystem.
1. Plant Wildflowers
Most people think that honeybees are the primary pollinators of most gardens and natural spaces, but there are actually many different bee species, along with wasps and other insects that pollinate flowers and plants.
It can help immensely to find out what the naturally occurring wildflowers are in the area and integrate them into your garden. This will immediately bring in more pollinators, while also creating a more natural garden with healthier soil and more prominent birdlife.
2. Create a Pond
All animals, no matter how small, require a source of clean water in order to live. And if you’ve got the space available in the garden, there are few better ways of bringing in pollinators than by creating a pond.
Ponds can also be used to grow aquatic plants both for food and for insects, and if it’s big enough, it might even be possible to home some fish within it. It should be noted that a pond will need moving water in order to stay aerated, so it can be helpful to install a small pump and create a waterfall to keep the water in a constant state of flow.
3. Avoid Synthetic Chemicals
It might be tempting to use certain chemicals and pesticides to keep weeds and pests at bay, but ultimately this just introduces poisons into the system that do far more harm than good. Instead, it’s better to create a working understanding of the intricacies of the soil food web, and to make a garden that supports microbes, arthropods, and birdlife to keep population numbers up.
A healthy soil food web is also a very effective way of keeping weeds and other pests under control, contrary to what most people believe, and means extra time for other hobbies, such as baking, reading or claiming the bingo bonus Australia sites offer.
4. Welcome All Pollinators
Something to keep noted is that not all pollinators are simply made up of honeybees. While honeybees are no doubt important, they represent just a fraction of the total number of pollinators that you can have in your garden.
While most people would try and destroy a wasp nest, many species of wasps are vital pollinators, and many of them might be able to pollinate a native plant that bees simply can’t. For this reason, it’s a good idea to allow all pollinators to live and thrive in your garden if you want the greatest variety of plants and insects.