11/18/2023
Just like bears, many pollinators hibernate through the winter — and they may need a little help to survive until spring.
As the leaves and temperatures drop, it might be tempting to forget about your pollinator garden until spring. While it may seem like the bees have vanished for the year, they haven’t actually gone anywhere.
Although some butterfly species, most notably the monarch, are well-known for migrating vast distances when the seasons change, most pollinators prefer to stay at home and ride out the cold. So, as unlikely as it seems, you are currently surrounded by bees and butterflies — even though you can’t see them.
Help Them Survive The Cold Winter:
1. Leave the leaves: leaves and other “litter” are essential shelter for hibernating bumble bee queens and the larvae of numerous butterfly and moth species.
2. Minimize ground disturbances: Approximately 70 percent of all bee species nest in the ground —frequently in yards and garden beds.
3. Collect cavity nests before pruning perennials or disposing of garden materials: Once you’ve identified any nests, collect and place them somewhere cool and dry like your garage until spring when they can be returned to your garden
4. Check under logs and rocks before moving them: Countless invertebrate species prefer to nest/hibernate around rocks and woody debris. Make sure to check under logs and in wood piles before starting any fires.
5. Keep an eye out for “creative” nests: There are some oddities out there that will take up residence inside galls or snail shells—or even construct nests from pebbles for the winter.
6. Spread the word, leaves are not litter
Read more: https://xerces.org/2018/12/10/where-did-the-pollinators-go/
