Athena Rayne Anderson

This post was originally published on August 9, 2011, on my blog “Pollinators Info” (no longer online).

Minimize pesticide use

Pesticides kill all kinds of insects, not just the ones you don’t want to see anymore. Consider the following ideas:

• Allowing your leaves to be munched a little – most native leaf-eaters don’t kill native plants.
• Using herbicides kills plants that are beneficial to pollinators too, so try to appreciate some “weeds” as potential wildlife food!
• If you feel pesticides or herbicides are necessary, don’t use more than the recommended amount. More chemical toxins are used on suburban lawns than on agricultural lands in the U.S.!
• Apply pesticides or herbicides directly onto whatever you’re trying to kill, instead of spreading them all over your yard. If you have 3 weeds that you want to kill, spray those weeds only.
• Apply pesticides or herbicides at dusk, when fewer pollinators are active.
• Don’t get pesticides or herbicides on flowers and you’ll be doing even better to keep from killing pollinators.
• Explore non-toxic ways of controlling unwanted plants or insects. For instance, spraying soapy water on leaves keeps many leaf-eaters away. If there are just a few plants you want to get rid of, try pulling them up by the roots instead of spraying them. Hey, gardening counts as exercise!

I hope these tips give you some ideas of how to help pollinators on your property. Tell us what YOU do to help pollinators by leaving a comment below!

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