HABITAT LOSS & EXCESSIVE USE OF PESTICIDES
plight of the
pollinators Pollinators are animals, such as birds, butterflies, and bees that move pollen from one plant to another, allowing plants to create seeds for the next generation.
30%
of the foods we eat, including fruits, nuts, vegetables, coffee, chocolate and spices come from plantpollinator relationships!
MAJOR THREATS TO POLLINATORS IN THE US AND WORLDWIDE:
habitat loss & excessive use of pesticides We can’t survive without pollinators – here’s what you can do to help THEM:
Plant a pollinatorfriendly garden
at home, work or school!
PROVIDE NESTING AREAS
for pollinating insects!
avoid using pesticides –
they can harm pollinators, other wildlife, your pets, and family!
Learn more: www.houstonzoo.org/pollinators
BEE friendly to native bees! W e are e x pert
pollinators !
The Buzz
About Native Bees bees are the best pollinators around! There are about 4,000 species in the United States alone… they are gentle, rarely sting and are lots of fun to watch! Attract bees to your yard by providing places to nest.
Most native bees nest in the ground – they like sunny, undisturbed patches of bare soil (no mulch, please!). A sparsely planted area in your flower bed will do just fine. Some will nest in holes made by other animals in fallen logs or tree stumps.
You can create your own bee nest box by drilling holes in a variety of sizes in a block of untreated wood. It’s an inexpensive, fun project for the whole family!
Learn more: www.houstonzoo.org/pollinators
plant a
pollinator-friendly
hummin g birds love honeysuckle!
garden While their natural habitat is disappearing quickly, you can help your pollinator friends by creating a habitat for them – at home, at work, even at school!
Go nati v e … Plant as many native wildflowers as you can, it’s what pollinators prefer.
Nati v e bees
like plants that provide lots of nectar and pollen, like sunflowers and asters.
Butter f lies
love nectar-bearing flowers, but do not forget to include “host plants,” like milkweed, in your garden for the caterpillars to eat!
H ummin g birds
love tubular flowers, especially red ones – sages and native honeysuckle are great for starters.
Learn more: www.houstonzoo.org/pollinators
planting with variety
makes a garden
naturally
pest free!
be pest free
with biodiversity Using pesticides in the garden can harm all insects (both good and bad), is costly, and can hurt other wildlife and the environment. The beautiful garden you see here is pesticide-free!
Let Mother Nature do the work for you – plant as many different species as you can in your garden (don’t forget natives!). The more plant variety you have, the more “pest predators” will call your garden home, including birds, frogs and toads, lizards, and even predator insects such as ladybugs and lacewings.
So be eco-friendly and pest-free using biological diversity; it’s FREE, you see! Learn more: www.houstonzoo.org/pollinators
pollinators Pollinators are animals, such as birds, butterflies, and bees that move pollen from one plant to another, allowing plants to create seeds for the next generation.
30%
of the foods we eat, including fruits, nuts, vegetables, coffee, chocolate and spices come from plantpollinator relationships!
MAJOR THREATS TO POLLINATORS IN THE US AND WORLDWIDE:
habitat loss & excessive use of pesticides We can’t survive without pollinators – here’s what you can do to help THEM:
Plant a pollinatorfriendly garden
at home, work or school!
PROVIDE NESTING AREAS
for pollinating insects!
avoid using pesticides –
they can harm pollinators, other wildlife, your pets, and family!
Learn more: www.houstonzoo.org/pollinators
BEE friendly to native bees! W e are e x pert
pollinators !
The Buzz
About Native Bees bees are the best pollinators around! There are about 4,000 species in the United States alone… they are gentle, rarely sting and are lots of fun to watch! Attract bees to your yard by providing places to nest.
Most native bees nest in the ground – they like sunny, undisturbed patches of bare soil (no mulch, please!). A sparsely planted area in your flower bed will do just fine. Some will nest in holes made by other animals in fallen logs or tree stumps.
You can create your own bee nest box by drilling holes in a variety of sizes in a block of untreated wood. It’s an inexpensive, fun project for the whole family!
Learn more: www.houstonzoo.org/pollinators
plant a
pollinator-friendly
hummin g birds love honeysuckle!
garden While their natural habitat is disappearing quickly, you can help your pollinator friends by creating a habitat for them – at home, at work, even at school!
Go nati v e … Plant as many native wildflowers as you can, it’s what pollinators prefer.
Nati v e bees
like plants that provide lots of nectar and pollen, like sunflowers and asters.
Butter f lies
love nectar-bearing flowers, but do not forget to include “host plants,” like milkweed, in your garden for the caterpillars to eat!
H ummin g birds
love tubular flowers, especially red ones – sages and native honeysuckle are great for starters.
Learn more: www.houstonzoo.org/pollinators
planting with variety
makes a garden
naturally
pest free!
be pest free
with biodiversity Using pesticides in the garden can harm all insects (both good and bad), is costly, and can hurt other wildlife and the environment. The beautiful garden you see here is pesticide-free!
Let Mother Nature do the work for you – plant as many different species as you can in your garden (don’t forget natives!). The more plant variety you have, the more “pest predators” will call your garden home, including birds, frogs and toads, lizards, and even predator insects such as ladybugs and lacewings.
So be eco-friendly and pest-free using biological diversity; it’s FREE, you see! Learn more: www.houstonzoo.org/pollinators
