Insect hotels are intended for most (not all) sorts of pollinators. They’re easy to construct from new or recycled materials. These structures should be weatherproof as they serve as year-round shelters for bees, wasps, ladybugs, and others that may hibernate over winter. Insect hotels are essentially the same as “wildlife walls” as they invite multiple […]
Archive for the ‘Beneficial Insects’ Category
Build A Hotel To Invite Beneficial Insects
Posted by Hugh on May 29th, 2018
Posted in Aphids, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Beneficial Insects, Bumble bees, Caterpillars, Container garden, Environmental issues, Fruits & Vegetables, Ground nesting bees, Insect (Pest) Problems, Lacebugs, Ladybugs, Landscape ideas, Millipedes & centipedes, Slugs, Snails, Southern Appalachian Region, Wildflowers 
Comments Off on Build A Hotel To Invite Beneficial InsectsOur Native Bumblebees In Trouble
Posted by Hugh on February 7th, 2018
In 2017 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognized 10 more animal species as Endangered Species, giving them protections under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. These 10 species include 7 species of bees. Endangered status would afford the rusty-patched bumblebee protection under federal law. Honeybees, which are not native to the U.S., build and live […]
Posted in Annuals, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Beneficial Insects, Bumble bees, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Dahlia, Flowers, Ground nesting bees, Honey bees, Perennials, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering Comments Off on Our Native Bumblebees In TroubleHard Working Perennials For Your Late Summer Garden
Posted by Hugh on August 1st, 2017
Add several fall-flowering perennials to your garden that will add late season color and pizzazz . These are reliable tough perennials, and beneficial pollinators love them. Visit garden centers in August to make your purchases. However, for these great plants to return next year and subsequent years, plants need to get their root systems established. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anemone, Aster, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial Insects, Butterflies, Chrysanthemum, Container garden, Drought tolerant, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Landscape ideas, Little Bluestem, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), Miscanthus grass, Muhly grass, mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia), Salvia leucantha, Sedum (Groundcover types), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sunflower (Helianthus), Switchgrass (Panicum), Toadlily (Tricyrtis), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Hard Working Perennials For Your Late Summer Garden50+ Flowering Pollen/Nectar Plants For Bumblebees
Posted by Hugh on January 24th, 2017
Here are three key points in planning your pollination garden. To attract U.S. native bumblebees: First, add both early(*), mid-summer, and late(**) flowers in the mix for a three seasons long garden. Second, mass together many of the same kinds of flowers, not just one or two plants, so that bees will spot them easier and to visit the planting frequently. […]
Posted in Alliums (onion), Alyssum (annual), Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial Insects, Beneficial insects, Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Cosmos, Cranesbill (Geranium), Crocus, Culver's Root (veronicastrum), Flowers, Heather (Calluna), Hollyhock (Alcea), Liatris, Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Pentas (Egyptian star flower), Perennials, Pollination needs, Rosemary, Russian sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Sedum (Groundcover types), Snapdragons, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stokesia, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Sunflowers, Verbena, Zinnia Comments Off on 50+ Flowering Pollen/Nectar Plants For BumblebeesUnique Life Cycle Of Bumble Bees
Posted by Hugh on December 13th, 2015
Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are highly beneficial insects that pollinate native wildflowers, fruits, vegetables, and many agricultural crops. They’re large robust insects with an easily identifiable black and yellow hairy abdomen. Hundreds of branched hairs pick up and transfer pollen from flowers. About 50 species of bumble bees inhabit North America. They share some common traits […]
Posted in Beneficial Insects, Bumble bees, Garden ecology, Native Plant, Native wildflowers, Perennials, Pollination needs, Southern Appalachian Region, Wildflower Comments Off on Unique Life Cycle Of Bumble BeesBeware! Yellow Jackets
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2015
Most humans fear and hate yellow jackets. They are actually wasps and important predators of several harmful insects. They’re easily identified by their distinctive markings along their abdomen. They tend to dart about rapidly, in a side-to-side flight pattern. Female yellow jackets are the ones capable of stinging. Wasps (Vespula spp.) are not bees; they’re brightly colored […]
Posted in Beneficial Insects, Garden Problems, Insect (Pest) Problems, Pesticide recommendations, Pests, Pollination needs, Southern Appalachian Region, Wasps, Yellow jackets Comments Off on Beware! Yellow JacketsDelightful Dragonflies And Damselflies
Posted by Hugh on June 27th, 2015
Watch them flitter… Dragonflies and damselflies, also called “darning needles” and “dining needles”, are common spring/summer inhabitants in many U.S. gardens, particularly around water gardens, streams and other water features, where they reproduce. Adults lay eggs on the plants around the water’s edge; the nymphs hatch from the […]
Posted in Beneficial Insects, Damselflies, Dragonflies, Southern Appalachian Region, Water Gardens Comments Off on Delightful Dragonflies And Damselflies
