Image by Ahep317 from Pixabay
Spring has sprung! The birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and the butterflies and bees are flying around. Pollinators are so important to our ecosystems on Earth, but recent times have witnessed an alarming worldwide reduction of them in both number and species. This article outlines why our flying friends are so vital and how we can help them back.
Pollinators help plants to reproduce. Pollinating wildlife move between plants, and the pollen carried on their bodies fertilises the plants as it moves from the anther (the male part of a flower) to the stigma (the female part). Pollinators are critical to agriculture because the process of pollination provides us with so much food that we, as well as numerous animals, enjoy – like nuts, seeds, apples, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries! Without pollination, countless species of plants would decline in number before vanishing completely, and our economy (pollinators contribute at least £43 million annually to Scotland’s economy) would struggle.
They also help to sustain biodiversity, which in turn benefits our physical health, as well as our mental health. Personally, I love looking at flowers and plants in spring. Can you imagine a springtime walk without any plants to see and smell? How sad would that be? Without pollinators, nature would be severely under threat, so we need to protect them.
There are around 1,500 distinct species categorised as pollinators in the UK. In Scotland, our pollinators include various types of bees, including bumblebees, solitary bees and commercial honeybees, as well as butterflies, hoverflies, moths, beetles and wasps. There are hundreds of different species of bees. In the UK alone, there are approximately 250 species of bees, and here in Scotland, we have 79 species of solitary bees, 23 of bumblebees, and the honeybee!
On a further note, colonies of domesticated western honeybees consist of thousands of workers, making them highly efficient pollinators capable of covering large areas. Domesticated western honeybees are used globally, and their hives can be moved without difficulty to required locations, meaning that pollination can be scheduled, making harvest orderly. However, honeybees are not the best-fitting pollinators for every crop, so in terms of agricultural benefit, a biodiversity of pollinating species is beneficial. For example, honeybees have shorter tongues than bumblebees, so bumblebees are the more practical pollinators for soft fruit crops. Supervised colonies of bumblebees are kept, and they pollinate more than 95% of tomatoes in glasshouses.
Unfortunately, our pollinators are in danger due to the use of pesticides, urbanisation, which causes the destruction of wildlife’s usual habitats, and new diseases. Neonicotinoids are an insecticide used on crops such as oilseed rape. Increasing evidence suggests these are harmful to pollinators. The insecticide taints the nectar and crop pollen, and though the dose used does not kill pollinators outright, it is suggested to interfere with their food-finding behaviours. Other countries in Europe have banned some neonicotinoids due to evidence of their damaging effects and on colony collapse disorder. Scotland is yet to do this, requiring definitive evidence of their effects.
However, there are numerous ways that we can help our pollinators!
Planting for pollinators. Spring and autumn are two challenging times for pollinators because they are coming out of, or getting ready to go into, hibernation. It is helpful to have pollinator-friendly plants flowering at the start of these seasons. As university students, we can help with this by putting plants in containers or window boxes. Herbs like lavender and rosemary are definitely worth considering!
Mowing less. Many of us, university students, have gardens at home or know people with gardens who we can encourage to leave some areas of their gardens to go wild. No Mow May is a good initiative to let grass and wild plants grow to help our environment!
Letting weeds grow! Dandelions, in particular, are hated far too much. With early flowering, dandelions are valuable as food for all pollinators. And dandelions are very pretty! They are a bright splash of colour early in the year.
Leaving shallow dishes of water out. Pollinators can struggle to find water, so providing shallow dishes of water is a very easy way to help them out.
Secret Garden Society. Here at Aberdeen University, we have a Secret Garden Society who meet every Sunday. You can get involved with planting through them, if you’d like to!
Happy Spring from me! Why not go for a walk and see which pollinators you can identify?
For more information about helping our pollinators, visit the NatureScot website!
