Learn how you can help Maine's insect pollinators





Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife





*mefishwildlife.com*






Maine's butterflies and bees need your help!?

orange monarch butterfly in middle of field with wild flowers

Monarch butterfly in field of wild flowers. Photo by Kelly Boland

Maine is home to a wide diversity of native insect pollinators, including many species of butterflies and moths, bees, beetles, and flies. The ecosystem services that these wild pollinators provide to natural communities and human societies is immeasurable. Without them, many wildflowers, shrubs, and trees, as well as fruits and vegetables, would not get pollinated, including important Maine crops like apples and blueberries.

Over the past few decades, several native Maine pollinators, including the monarch butterfly, rusty patched bumble bee, and hourglass drone fly have experienced significant declines throughout their ranges. Factors including habitat loss, disease, pesticides, competition from introduced species, and climate change have put these and other insect pollinators in danger of extirpation.

We can all help reverse the decline by protecting pollinator habitats. Here are a few ways to do so:

?

________________________________________________________________________



monarch caterpillar

*Invite Summer Monarchs ?* Providing summer habitat for monarch butterflies is as simple as allowing common milkweed, the sole host plant for their caterpillars and a valuable nectar source, to grow and flourish. Many other beneficial insects in Maine also feed at milkweed flowers.

?



________________________________________________________________________



bee on a blueberry flower

*Create a Bumble Bee Haven ?* Bumble bees are habitat generalists, but they require an abundance and diversity of flowering plants that offer food from early spring to late fall. You can help by including an assortment of preferred pollinator flowers among your plantings during every part of the growing season.



________________________________________________________________________



deep green tall grass with bright yellow dandelions

*Embrace Your Wild Side ?* Some of the best habitats for pollinators are ?weedy? fields and roadsides which are rich in pollinator favorites like clover, milkweed, goldenrod, thistle, lupine, and raspberries. You can replicate this at home by allowing a portion of your lawn to grow tall until late fall. In spring, waiting two to three weeks between mowings will allow clovers, violets, and dandelions to bloom - providing pollinators with their first available nectar sources of the season.



________________________________________________________________________



purple bee balm flower

*Plant a Pollinator Garden ?* Many common garden plants are especially attractive to butterflies, bumble bees, and other insect pollinators. Examples of favorites that are easily grown in Maine include bee balm, butterflyweed, sunflower, coneflower, thyme, mint, rhododendron, blueberry, and rose, but there are many more from which to choose. Use native plant species as often as possible.



________________________________________________________________________



orange butterfly weed

*Avoid Chemical Herbicides and Pesticides ?* Herbicides kill many of the flowering plants that pollinators feed on, and insecticides can kill bees and other insect pollinators ? either directly or by affecting their abilities to forage, reproduce, or care for their colonies. There are safer alternatives that can still help you manage plant diseases and insect pests around your home and garden. Use native plant species as often as possible and be sure to select nursery plants and seeds that have not been treated with pesticides.







________________________________________________________________________



For more information, visit the Xerces Society [ [link removed] ]

Report sightings of the rusty patched bumble bee [ [link removed] ]

*Learn about Invertebrate Conservation in Maine (PDF)* [ [link removed] ]


________________________________________________________________________









Stay Connected with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife: ? Facebook [ [link removed] ] Twitter [ [link removed] ] Youtube [ [link removed] ] LinkedIn [ [link removed] ] Govdelivery [ [link removed] ] ?

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage Subscriptions [ [link removed] ]??|??Unsubscribe All [ [link removed] ]??|??Help [ [link removed] ]



________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife ?41 State House Station ? Augusta, ME 04333-0041 ? (207) 287-8000 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]