Native Pollinators

Mosquitoes bite. Their bites make us itchy. They make an annoying whining sound. Most people hate them. But mosquitoes are also pollinators. Pollinators help plants to grow. Orchids and goldenrods need pollination by mosquitoes to survive. Like butterflies, the elephant mosquito carries pollen from flower to flower. Native Pollinators: Mosquitoes is a good place to start learning about the role of mosquitoes in the life cycle of plants.

Moths are fuzzier and fatter than their butterfly cousins. A lot of moths are brown and dull looking. Butterflies get songs and poems written about them. Hardly anyone swoons over moths. But moths deserve our respect and attention. Moths are pollinators, and many are native to America. While most insect pollinators work during the day, moths take the night shift. They visit flowers that bloom under the light of the moon. Moths play a vital role in the life cycle of plants. Some are beautiful, too, like the large, green Luna moth and the lo Moth, which looks like it has two large eyes on its wings. Native Pollinators: Moths is a good place to start learning about these fascinating night pollinators.

When people think of bees, they often think of the honeybee. Honeybees are important. They deserve a lot of buzz. But they are not native to America. Colonists brought the honeybee to Virginia in 1622. America's only native bee is the bumblebee, and there are 46 different kinds of bumblebee. Our bumblebees pollinate flowers on apple, plum, pear, almond, peach, and many more plants. They work twice as fast as honeybees, and they work for free to give us the fruits and vegetables that we love to eat. Native Pollinators: Bees is a good place to start learning about these American originals.

Hummingbirds are amazing! They can hover, fly up and down, and they are the only bird to fly backwards. Their wings flap 50 to 60 times each second creating the humming noise for which they are named. Hummingbirds are native to the Americas. They pollinate honeysuckle, the morning glory, blueberry flowers, and an array of other trumpet-shaped native plants. Native Pollinators: Hummingbirds is a good place to start learning about these energetic pollinators.

Flies get no respect. People shoo them. They swat them. They use bug spray to kill them. But the next time you see a fly, think twice before you strike. Flies can be annoying but helpful too. They are pollinators. Pollinators help plants produce the fruits and vegetables we love to eat. Flies pollinate pears, strawberries, and even cacao, the nut used to make chocolate. Flies work hard for us-and they do it for free! Native Pollinators: Flies is a good place to start to learn about these hardworking insects.

Stop! Don't step on that beetle. Many beetles are pollinators. Without them, we wouldn't have magnolia flowers, palm trees, or the fruit of the pawpaw. Beetles can be pests and also helpful. Farmers use ladybug beetles to eat insects that are eating their plants. In the United States, there are more than 30,000 native beetles-and more are discovered everyday. These native pollinators are small in size but giants in the insect world. Native Pollinators: Beetles is a good place to start learning about these amazing insects.

What comes to mind when you think about bats? Creepy? Spooky? Vampires? Bats get a bad rap. They do not harm people. Many are hardworking pollinators. America is home to 45 species of bat. They are the main pollinators of desert plants like the Saguaro cactus in Arizona. Nectar-eating bats from other countries help plants to produce the fruits we love to eat, such as bananas, peaches, and mangos. Native Pollinators: Bats is a good place to learn about these nighttime pollinators.

Butterflies are the rock stars of the insect world. They are beautiful. They glide through the air, looking elegant and regal. Photographers like to snap pictures of them. The press gives special coverage to the famous Monarch butterfly. Butterflies are adored by all. These flying insects play an important role in the life cycle of plants. They are pollinators, and many are native to America. Butterflies help plants to grow many of the flowers you love to see and smell. Native Pollinators Butterflies is a good place to start learning about these magnificent insects.

Moths are fuzzier and fatter than their butterfly cousins. A lot of moths are brown and dull looking. Butterflies get songs and poems written about them. Hardly anyone swoons over moths. But moths deserve our respect and attention. Moths are pollinators, and many are native to America. While most insect pollinators work during the day, moths take the night shift. They visit flowers that bloom under the light of the moon. Moths play a vital role in the life cycle of plants. Some are beautiful, too, like the large, green Luna moth and the lo Moth, which looks like it has two large eyes on its wings. Native Pollinators: Moths is a good place to start learning about these fascinating night pollinators.

Mosquitoes bite. Their bites make us itchy. They make an annoying whining sound. Most people hate them. But mosquitoes are also pollinators. Pollinators help plants to grow. Orchids and goldenrods need pollination by mosquitoes to survive. Like butterflies, the elephant mosquito carries pollen from flower to flower. Native Pollinators: Mosquitoes is a good place to start learning about the role of mosquitoes in the life cycle of plants.

Flies get no respect. People shoo them. They swat them. They use bug spray to kill them. But the next time you see a fly, think twice before you strike. Flies can be annoying but helpful too. They are pollinators. Pollinators help plants produce the fruits and vegetables we love to eat. Flies pollinate pears, strawberries, and even cacao, the nut used to make chocolate. Flies work hard for us-and they do it for free! Native Pollinators: Flies is a good place to start to learn about these hardworking insects.

What comes to mind when you think about bats? Creepy? Spooky? Vampires? Bats get a bad rap. They do not harm people. Many are hardworking pollinators. America is home to 45 species of bat. They are the main pollinators of desert plants like the Saguaro cactus in Arizona. Nectar-eating bats from other countries help plants to produce the fruits we love to eat, such as bananas, peaches, and mangos. Native Pollinators: Bats is a good place to learn about these nighttime pollinators.

Butterflies are the rock stars of the insect world. They are beautiful. They glide through the air, looking elegant and regal. Photographers like to snap pictures of them. The press gives special coverage to the famous Monarch butterfly. Butterflies are adored by all. These flying insects play an important role in the life cycle of plants. They are pollinators, and many are native to America. Butterflies help plants to grow many of the flowers you love to see and smell. Native Pollinators Butterflies is a good place to start learning about these magnificent insects.

Hummingbirds are amazing! They can hover, fly up and down, and they are the only bird to fly backwards. Their wings flap 50 to 60 times each second creating the humming noise for which they are named. Hummingbirds are native to the Americas. They pollinate honeysuckle, the morning glory, blueberry flowers, and an array of other trumpet-shaped native plants. Native Pollinators: Hummingbirds is a good place to start learning about these energetic pollinators.

When people think of bees, they often think of the honeybee. Honeybees are important. They deserve a lot of buzz. But they are not native to America. Colonists brought the honeybee to Virginia in 1622. America's only native bee is the bumblebee, and there are 46 different kinds of bumblebee. Our bumblebees pollinate flowers on apple, plum, pear, almond, peach, and many more plants. They work twice as fast as honeybees, and they work for free to give us the fruits and vegetables that we love to eat. Native Pollinators: Bees is a good place to start learning about these American originals.

Stop! Don't step on that beetle. Many beetles are pollinators. Without them, we wouldn't have magnolia flowers, palm trees, or the fruit of the pawpaw. Beetles can be pests and also helpful. Farmers use ladybug beetles to eat insects that are eating their plants. In the United States, there are more than 30,000 native beetles-and more are discovered everyday. These native pollinators are small in size but giants in the insect world. Native Pollinators: Beetles is a good place to start learning about these amazing insects.