Wild pollinators deserve a lot more credit when it comes to pollinating our food. They’re more prepared, they’re more effective, and their services produce better food. What more could you want?
When it comes to pollination, we instinctively give all the credit to honeybees. But those little buggers (no pun intended) don’t deserve it.
Sure, honeybees are great. We’re not into Colony Collapse Disorder, and we definitely think that the plight of the honeybee is illustrative of bigger problems in the world.
When it comes to their role in pollination, though, it’s been a bit overblown. We need to give wild pollinators their due for the sake of our environment and urban ecology, and that starts with understanding who they are and why they’re so important.
What Is a Wild Pollinator?
A pollinator is an animal that spreads pollen from one plant to another, aiding in its reproduction – usually as a byproduct of the animal’s pollen- or nectar-collecting activities.
The definition of wild pollinator is one that is not domesticated, the way honeybees are. Wild pollinators developed in a certain region and are native to it. This gives them many advantages over honeybees.
For instance, research shows that wild pollinators are more effective in the pollination of many crops than honeybees, including “fruit, seed, nut and coffee crops.” Moreover, wild pollinators know things about native plants that honeybees do not, such as bumblebees, which are able to “buzz pollinate” many flowers, vibrating at a specific frequency that releases pollen from the bloom’s anther.
I mean, what. Seriously. What even. That’s, like, so rad.
... we were all thinking it.
Plus, many native plants evolved to serve only one species of wild pollinator, and vice versa. If we depend entirely on honeybees and put all our resources there, we will leave many species out in the cold. So while it’s awesome to try and help the honeybee, it’s time we locals set our sights on our fellow locals: wild pollinators.
Would you like to learn more about helping the environment by helping wild pollinators? Get in touch and we’ll make a plan to renew your urban space today.
