Learn About the Importance of Pollinators and How You Can Protect Them
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) have affirmed New York’s commitment to promoting the health and recovery of the state’s pollinator population. For details, check out the updated 2020 Pollination Protection Plan.
Join with New York DEC in celebrating Pollinator Week and learn the importance of protecting key pollinator species such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Latest Buzz: On June 21st, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan issued a proclamation in support of National Pollinator Week, June 21 – 27, 2021.
There is much to learn about these valuable members of New York’s ecosystems, as well as many steps your household can take to protect them and to preserve their habitat.
Earn Your Wings and Help Protect Our Pollinators:
- BEE careful with pesticides! – Pesticides known to be particularly harmful to bees have special bee advisory labels on them. To protect bees, it is important to read and follow label instructions when you use pesticides on your lawn and garden. If use is necessary, try to apply the product when the plant is not flowering, when it is not windy, and at night when pollinators are less active. Check out the EPA’s guide to better pesticide management practices (PDF).
- Plant a pollinator garden – What pollinators need most is a diverse array of nectar and pollen resources. Choose plants that flower at different times of the year to provide nectar and pollen sources all throughout the growing season. Plant in native clumps. Native plants can serve as larval host plants for some species of pollinators. Check out St. Lawrence-Eastern Lake Ontario PRISM’s comprehensive guide to making a pollinator pathway (PDF), which is a series of gardens with native plant species that form a distinctive vegetative path in an urban landscape.
Take a Virtual Pollinator Garden Tour made possible through a grant from the NYS Integrated Pest Management with help from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County.
So, let’s swarm together and improve pollinator health in both your yard and in the local ecosystem.
If you have questions or concerns, we’re here. Email us at: PestMgt or call (518) 402-8788. |
