![]() ![]() Here is a list of Texas native plants that are very attractive to pollinators and are well-suited for plantings in gardens. No insecticides - Insecticides have the potential to poison or kill pollinators.Plant in groups - Clumps of flowering plants will attract more pollinators than single plants scattered in the landscape.Plant a variety of plants that flower at different times providing nectar and pollen sources throughout the growing season. Provide long-lasting blooms - Sustain pollinators throughout the seasons.Butterfly adults generally feed only in the sun. Plant in the sun - Your pollinator-friendly plants should receive full sun throughout most of the day.Most native plants require little irrigation, bloom without fertilizers, and are unlikely to become weedy. Grow native flowering plants - Adapted to local soils and climates, native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees are usually the best sources of nectar and pollen for native pollinators.Providing wildflower-rich habitat is the most significant action you can take to support these important pollinators. Pollinator populations are, however, on the decline for various reasons including habitat loss, introduction and spread of invasive plant species, misuse of pesticides and disease. ![]() Primary animal pollinators include ants, bees, beetles, butterflies, flies, birds, hummingbirds and moths. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, about 80% of all flowering plants and over three-quarters of the staple crop plants that feed humankind, rely on animal pollinators. The project will also allow scientists to learn more about the bee’s nesting habits and preferences, none of which is currently known to scientists.Pollinators are nearly as important as sun, soil and water in both flowering plant reproduction and in the production of most fruits and vegetables. Each female builds a nest, and does not care for its young. Part of the pair’s project, funded by a grant administered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will help determine whether blue calaminthas qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act.Ī solitary native bee, the blue calamintha does not live in a large colony. From the most popular to the least popular, weve compiled a list of the most common bees youll find in Texas. ![]() “It puts into perspective how much habitat loss affects all the animals that live in this area.” “It’s one thing to read about habitat loss and development and another to be driving for 30-40 minutes through miles of orange groves just to get to a really small conservation site,” Kimmel said. The Florida Aquarium just made a breakthrough that will help save the third largest coral reef in the worldīlue calamintha bees are endemic to Florida, and have only been found in scrub habitat in the Lake Wales Ridge – one of the nation’s fastest-disappearing ecosystems. ![]() Kimmel and his adviser, Jaret Daniels, are currently working on a two-year research project to determine the blue calamintha bee’s current population and the species’ nesting and feeding habits. While finding a blue calamintha has reassured scientists that the bee is still present despite the impact humans have had on their environment, there is still little known about the species’ behavior, biology, and habitat needs. “In reading about this unique behavior we were pretty shocked to see it.”Īfter catching the bee in March, the researcher used macrophotography and checked in with lead authors who studied the species to confirm the insect was a blue calamintha. “We observed a shiny little blue bee grabbing the flower and rubbing its head on the top portion of the flower two or three times before moving on to another flower,” Kimmel told CNN. Kimmel spotted the bee, known for its unique way of collecting pollen, when he and a volunteer were installing a bee condo in the Lake Wales Ridge near some Ashe’s calamint – another threatened species that blue calaminthas depend on for food. The Ashe's calamint, the blue bee's primary floral host. ![]()
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