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The original item was published from 5/1/2023 11:40:00 AM to 5/4/2023 1:56:29 PM.
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Pollinator Awareness Month
Posted on: May 2, 2023[ARCHIVED] Tuesday Tips: Pollinator-Friendly Yards
- In the fall, leave leaves and yard debris in your landscape and perennial grasses and flowers standing. Wait until well into the following spring before cutting back perennials and raking up leaves and debris to provide nesting habitat for pollinators over the winter.
- Plant native host or nectar plants for specific pollinator species, such as milkweed species for the Monarch butterfly, rose species for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, or clover species for the Abberant Cellophane Bee.
- Avoid the use of herbicide, pesticides, and insecticides whenever possible. If applied improperly, use of these chemicals can cause drift that could contaminate pollen and nectar collected by pollinators for several days or even months after it is applied. Drift occurs when dust or droplets from pesticides and other chemicals move through the air affecting areas outside their target area.
- Plant a variety of pollinator plants to ensure nectar is available for pollinators all season long. For example, plant early bloomers such as Wild geranium, mid-season bloomers such as Marsh milkweed, and late season bloomers like Smooth blue aster.