2017 was an exceptional year of Integrated Biological Pest Management (IBPM) education thanks to USDA Risk Management Education Partnerships Program funding and the leadership of Gwendolyn Ellen.
How you can help
More than half of all flowering plants species are suffering from are under-pollinated because pollinators are in decline. The reasons for this decline range from inappropriate use of pesticides to habitat loss due to development and encroachment of invasive species. Pollinators have also been hit hard by parasites and diseases. It’s a tough time to be a pollinator, but it’s not too late for us to help.
We can make a difference for many of the native pollinators in the Willamette Valley by taking these steps:
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Limit your use of pesticides.
Instead of spraying pests, implement Integrated Biological Pest Management techniques. (Farming with Native Beneficial Insects by Xerces Society is a great resource)
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Install pollinator nesting sites.
Whether you make a bee block, purchase an insect hotel, or simply leave stumps in your landscape, you’ll be giving native pollinators the structures they need for nesting. An expert will be available to show you the options at the annual winter Native Plant Sale.
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Plant a pollinator garden.
Pollinators need pollen and nectar sources and house plants like milkweed. We’ve made it easy for you to support native pollinators in your landscape by offering a range of native plants preferred by pollinators throughout the growing season. We even have a couple great designs available for you to use for free. Check out Donna Schmitz’s Pollinator Hedgerow or the Sunny Pollinator Garden Design created for us by Signe Danler.
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Expand your understanding and share what you’ve learned.
- OSU Extension has research-based publications to help you build habitat for bees and pollinators.
- NRCS shares information about creating vegetated field borders to increase on-farm pollinator health.
- See Xerces Society’s helpful publications on habitat installation for Western Oregon and Washington.
- At the bottom of this page, you can access our many pollinator-themed blog posts.
Six Habitats for Beneficial Insects
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Field Borders Strips
of native grasses and wildflowers planted along field edges, farm roads, underneath power lines, or in the corner areas of center-pivot irrigated fields.
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Pollinator Hedgerows Linear
rows of flowering shrubs, trees, perennial wildflowers, and grasses in the understory. Located along property boundaries, fence lines, roads, and as barriers to separate crop fields.
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Streamside Buffers Multi-level
native vegetation maintained along streams, creeks, and rivers.
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Beetle Banks Grassed
elevated berm that provides shelter and overwintering habitat for predatory ground beetles. Planted next to or through the center of crop fields.
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Cover Crops and Alley Crops Temporary
or permanent plantings of ground cover on fallow crop fields, between rows of berry crops or nursery stock, or in the understory of vineyards and orchards.
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Insectary Strips
of pollen and nectar sources planted between crop rows. For more information see Farming with Native Beneficial Insects: Ecological Pest Control Solutions, Xerces Society Guide.
Related Blog Posts
Teresa Matteson | December 31, 2019
Conservation Neighbor Nick Cavagnaro shares some tips for what to grow in Benton County. He doesn’t have use for plants that do not support the local wildlife, be it birds or insects.
Judith Paul | April 15, 2019
Introduction This paper was written by Judith Paul for the Oregon State University course Entomology 331: Pollinators in Peril in the winter of 2017. In the Pacific Northwest, a busy solitary bee unknown to many people is quietly pollinating orchards and early-blooming plants. Metallic blue-green and about the size of a honey bee, it might
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