Author
Kimberly A. Stoner
Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
Overview
This guide is for those who want to create a pollinator habitat in Connecticut.
Dr. Stoner divided the users to four different groups:
- Beekeeper : supporting the health and productivity of your honey bees.
- Farmer or orchardist : supporting pollinators of crops to increase productivity.
- Manager of a large land area (conservation) : to create habitat that benefits the larger ecosystem.
- Gardener : observe pollinators up close, to make a statement with your own property about supporting pollinators, or any of the other reasons above.
Introduction
Pollination – the transfer of pollen from a male anther to a female stigma – is basic to the sexual reproduction of flowering plants. Some plants, particularly grasses, are pollinated by wind, and some by water, but the vast majority of plant species – the most recent estimate is 87% – are pollinated by some kind of animal (1). Although many different animals carry out pollination, including birds, bats, beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps and many other insect groups, this guide will primarily focus on creating habitat for bees, including wild bee species as well as the domesticated honey bee, with additional notes on other pollinators such as butterflies.
