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Pumpkins, blueberries, cherries, and squash are plants native to Michigan that pollinators seek out as their favorite food sources, compared to common cultivar species that have been designed for their structure and blooms, and oftentimes lack the nectar that native pollinators seek out.Įven one or two native plants like echinacea, rudbeckia, or lupine in your backyard or containers on your porch can act as a place of rest for pollinators. Although this seems daunting, small changes can help pollinators sustain their declining populations and your gardens as well! To help them thrive, you can plant pollinator-specific gardens. This vital group is being greatly impacted by habitat loss, fragmentation, use of pesticides, and drastically changing climates.
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Pollinators use the pollen as food for themselves and their young by mixing dry pollen with nectar to form pollen loaves that are left as initial nourishment for larvae in nests. This mutualistic relationship helps flowers to successfully fruit and become more productive and resilient plants. Pollen, a powdery substance that contains the genetic material of a flower, is transferred to the reproductive organs of other nearby flowers by pollinators that visit one flower after the other. Bats, birds, butterflies, moths, beetles, and of course bees, are drawn to the sugary sweet nectar of flowers that they drink for energy, and douse themselves in the granular pollen clusters that adhere to hairs or storage sacks on the creature’s bodies. Pollinators encompass a variety of animals that source their food through flowers. Landscapes of vivid greens and vibrant shades of blue are accented by fields of white, purple, and yellow flowers that draw not only our attention, but that of pollinators, too.
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We are in the peak of summer in the eastern Upper Peninsula, surrounded by breathtaking scenery and pristine bodies of water that are deeply intertwined with our culture and livelihoods. MAEAP Technician for the Chippewa Luce Mackinac Conservation District