Grow Organically

Pesticides, even organic ones, can be toxic to bees, beneficial insects, birds, animals and other organisms.  If you must use pesticides then take the organic approach, it’s a safer method.   You can also work with nature to control pests and diseases by using plant ecology and soil management, such as planting disease-resistant plants, practice companion planting, rotating your plants in the vegetable garden, and applying organic fertilizers and mulch. These methods create a healthier garden thereby creating strong plants and creating unfavorable conditions for pests.

Shelters

All pollinators need shelter to hide from predators, get out of the elements and rear their young.

Ways to create shelters:

1. Leaving a dead tree standing for butterflies, native bees and birds to make homes.
2. In the fall don’t rake your leaves out of your flowerbeds. Many beneficial insects use leaves for winter protection. You can shred your leaves then put them back into your flowerbeds as mulch, this benefit plants, worms and insects.
3. Also in the fall, leave dead flowers standing. Many beneficial insects hibernate or lay eggs on flower stems and leaves. Birds also feed on the seeds, so wait until spring to clean out your flowerbeds.
4. Provide undisturbed spaces for pollinators to overwinter. Leave a log, or a pile of pruned branches lying on the ground in a sunny location, even a pile of leaves can create a winter shelter.
5. Providing a natural habitat is best, but creating artificial nesting boxes are can be helpful to pollinators, especially in the case of Mason bees, bats and some birds.

• • Mason bees will use a wooden block for nesting if it has the
    

    Insect house in Parkend, the Forest of Dean, UK (photo from Wikipedia)

    proper-sized holes drilled into it, or you can build a fancier Mason Bee House.

  • For mosquito control buy or build a Bat House.
  • Click here for Birdhouse Plans
  • Butterfly houses can be built or purchased but they are less successful than creating natural habitats.