Happy Pollinator Week!

June 16 to 22 was Pollinator Week 2025! You may have heard that pollinators are declining. This is a global phenomenon that affects us all. Healthy ecosystems are essential for healthy food systems, and pollinators are important components of most ecosystems (Pollinator Partnership 2025). In the face of ecosystem degradation, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. This blog post aims to help you find tangible actions you can take to help pollinators, along a spectrum from easy and small-scale to larger changes to your home and lifestyle.

Why Do Pollinators Matter?

Pollinators are essential components of their ecosystems. They are often the primary facilitators of reproduction and fruiting for many plant species, supporting food production and a healthy plant community (Pollinator Partnership 2025). By transferring pollen from one flower to another, they promote germination and seed development. Furthermore, as pollinators travel from plant to plant, they increase genetic diversity in the plant community by allowing plants to reproduce across greater distances. This can also promote higher yields of crop plants (Cusser et al., 2016). Greater pollinator diversity is also important for plant communities, as it is associated with higher plant diversity (Fontaine et al., 2005).

However, pollinators play other important roles in ecosystems too. Pollinators can be important components of food webs both as predators and prey (Kersch-Becker et al., 2018; Li et al., 2022). In fact, some species of pollinators promote plant survival through ecological roles that change with their life stage. Hover flies, for example, are predators of plant pests as larvae while transitioning to a pollinator role as adults (Li et al., 2022). Pollinators can even be plant predators as larvae, as is the case with most moth and butterfly caterpillars. Through this ecological role, these species may reduce plant populations as larvae while promoting plant reproduction as adults (Rusman et al., 2020). This complex interplay between pollinators, predators, and herbivores promotes a balanced ecosystem.

What Can You Do?

Considering the importance of pollinators both to human food systems and wider ecosystems, you may be wondering how you can help your local pollinators. Fortunately, there are many ways to support pollinators! Some suggestions are listed below that can be tailored to fit into your lifestyle.

Avoid Pesticides

Using pesticides can harm local pollinators. Insecticides that target insects in your yard and garden are particularly harmful, but even herbicides, rodenticides, and fungicides can harm pollinators or the ecosystems the rely on (Pollinator Partnership 2025). The best way to support pollinators is to avoid any and all pesticide use, unless it is recommended by experts for invasive species control or safety.

Avoid Outdoor Lights and Bug Zappers

Artificial light pollution is harmful to nocturnal wildlife. Many species use natural light to navigate at night. Nighttime pollinators like moths are often overlooked, but can be incredibly important for night-blooming plant species. Artificial lights can attract pollinators away from plants, reducing pollination and increasing the risk of predation and exhaustion (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2023).

Bug zappers kill pollinators. While many bug zappers are advertised as effective mosquito control tools, these claims may not be accurate. However, bug zappers have consistently been found to kill pollinators like moths and flies. You can be pollinator friendly and avoid mosquitos by using bug deterrent sprays or creams. If you have an outdoor space like a deck or fire pit that you want to keep mosquito-free, consider setting up an outdoor fan system. Mosquitos are weak fliers and so even a small air current can keep them away while keeping you cool on hot summer evenings (Mahoney, 2019).

Contribute to Citizen Science

Understanding pollinator behaviour and ecology is essential to address ongoing population declines (Cardoso & Gonçalves, 2018). However, the wide diversity and distribution of pollinator species combined with limited resources can limit the amount of research scientists are able to do on pollinators. Fortunately, anyone can contribute to pollinator research through citizen science initiatives. Researchers are already using public data collected on digital platforms like BugGuide, Bumble Bee Watch, and iNaturalist to uncover new facets of pollinator behaviour and assist conservation efforts (MacPhail et al., 2019; Portman et al., 2021). By uploading photos of wild pollinators to these platforms, you can support these research efforts.

Leave the Leaves

Raking and removing fallen leaves in autumn is a popular component of residential lawncare to maintain a neat and tidy yard. However, this can have an unexpected ecological cost. Many arthropods, including pollinators, shelter in leaf litter to overwinter. Leaf litter can insulate arthropods from the cold, whether as eggs, pupae, or overwintering adults. Research on leaf removal in residential yards found a 45% reduction in butterfly and moth abundance the following spring when leaves were removed, compared to yards where leaves were left (Ferlauto & Burghardt, 2025). Based on these findings, leaving the leaves can help your local pollinators survive through the winter. Leaves can also be useful winter insulation for garden plants, so leaves that fall in places where they may cause damage (such as window wells and eavestroughs) can be deposited in garden beds to protect both plants and pollinators.

Plant Native

Pollinators and plants can have close ecological associations that have developed over millennia of co-evolution. While some pollinators are generalists, and will pollinate a wide variety of plant species, there are also specialist pollinators that rely on a limited set of plants and these plants also rely on them. Generalist species may happily pollinate non-native plant species like the lilacs and daylilies that are popular fixtures of ornamental gardens. However, to promote high pollinator diversity and ecosystem health, making space for plants that are native to your region is key (Hanley et al., 2014). Native plants also support a wide range of non-pollinator species, so planting native can be a great way to promote biodiversity in your yard and garden (Lerch et al., 2024). A variety of local organizations provide useful resources on how to plant native. For more information, check out inthezonegardens.ca, pollinator.org/guides-canada, natureconservancy.ca, or ontarionature.org.

Kill Your Lawn

Lawns tend to be low diversity environments with limited resources for pollinators (Lerman et al., 2018). However, changing lawn management strategies can make these areas more beneficial to local pollinators. Reducing mowing frequency can allow flowering plants time to grow and bloom, providing pollen and nectar for pollinators. This also saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions if you use gas-powered mowers. Therefore, limiting mowing to only every two or three weeks can make your lawn a better place for pollinators and the environment (Lerman et al., 2018).

However, research suggests that the lower the frequency of mowing, the better. Mowing as infrequently as possible, up to the point of not mowing at all, may be the best policy for pollinators (Rada et al., 2024). This may not be practical or reasonable in many cases, but an alternative approach is to replace as much of the lawn as possible with gardens, preferably planted with native plants. This approach increases habitat diversity and provides more floral resources for pollinators than even an unmown lawn would be able to. Therefore, if you have the capacity, consider replacing as much of your lawn as possible with native plants gardens to support local pollinators.

Advocate for Pollinators

Even if you don’t have a yard or garden, or the time and resources to remake your yard, there are still ways you can support your local pollinators. You can share the previously-listed pollinator-friendly strategies with people and businesses who do have yards and gardens, suggest installing a pollinator garden at your school or workplace, or volunteer for local environmental organizations. You could research community gardens in your area and see if they have pollinator-friendly initiatives, or participate in native plant sales in your city. The possibilities are almost endless, and there are opportunities for all levels of commitment, experience, and knowledge. If you live in Hamilton, consider getting involved in one of the many community gardens in the city that can be found at the Neighbour 2 Neighbour Community Garden Network. You can also volunteer for local environmental organizations like the Hamilton Conservation Authority, Hamilton Naturalists’ Club, Royal Botanical Gardens, and Nature at McMaster, among many others. For more groups, check out or Local Organizations and Community Groups & Clubs pages under “Get Involved”.

Pollinators are an amazingly diverse group, and need more attention than just honeybee-centered publicity. There are so many ways you can get involved to support your local pollinator communities. In return, your efforts may result in a more vibrant garden, biodiverse neighbourhood, and engaged community.

References:

Cardoso, M.C. & Gonçalves, R.B. (2018). Reduction by half: the impact on bees of 34 years of urbanization. Urban Ecosystems, 21, 943–949.

Cusser, S., Neff, J. L., & Jha, S. (2016). Natural land cover drives pollinator abundance and richness, leading to reductions in pollen limitation in cotton agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 226, 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.04.020

Ferlauto, M., & Burghardt, K. T. (2025). Removing autumn leaves in residential yards reduces the spring emergence of overwintering insects. The Science of the Total Environment, 970, 178821-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178821

Fontaine, C., Dajoz, I., Meriguet, J., & Loreau, M. (2006). Functional Diversity of Plant–Pollinator Interaction Webs Enhances the Persistence of Plant Communities. PLoS Biology, 4(1), e1–e1. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0040001

Hanley, M.E., Awbi, A.J. & Franco, M. (2014). Going native? Flower use by bumblebees in English urban gardens. Annals of Botany, 113, 799–806.

Kersch-Becker, M. F., Grisolia, B. B., Campos, M. J. O., & Romero, G. Q. (2018). Community?wide responses to predation risk: effects of predator hunting mode on herbivores, pollinators, and parasitoids. Ecological Entomology, 43(6), 846–849. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.12660

Lerch, D., Blüthgen, N., & Mody, K. (2024). Home sweet home: Evaluation of native versus exotic plants as resources for insects in urban green spaces. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12380

Lerman, S. B., Contosta, A. R., Milam, J., & Bang, C. (2018). To mow or to mow less: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity in suburban yards. Biological Conservation, 221, 160–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.01.025

Li, H., Wu, K., & Gao, Y. (2022). Bidirectional Predation Between Larvae of the Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus (Diptera: Syrphidae) and the Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Journal of Economic Entomology., 115(2), 545–555. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toab268

MacPhail, V. J., Richardson, L. L., & Colla, S. R. (2019). Incorporating citizen science, museum specimens, and field work into the assessment of extinction risk of the American Bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus De Geer 1773) in Canada. Journal of Insect Conservation, 23(3), 597–611. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-019-00152-y

Mahoney, D. (2019, August 14). Do bug zappers work? yeah-about as well as any other indiscriminate wildlife slaughter. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/do-bug-zappers-work/

Pollinator Partnership. About pollinators. (2025, April 17). Pollinator.org. https://www.pollinator.org/pollinators

Portman, Z. M., Ascher, J. S., & Cariveau, D. P. (2021). Nectar concentrating behavior by bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila). Apidologie, 52(6), 1169–1194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-021-00895-1

Rada, P., Bogusch, P., Rom, J., & Horák, J. (2024). Adding a mosaic mowing regime to urban lawns is the key to city biodiversity management for pollinators. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 99, 128452-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128452

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Dim the lights for pollinators and plants at night. (2023, July 31). FWS.gov. https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-07/dim-lights-pollinators-and-plants-night