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Attracting Native Pollinators

GFP student Sydney Raftery created this infographic which shows different ways to attract pollinators to your yard.

Published •

Attracting Native Pollinators

Published •

GFP student Sydney Raftery created this infographic which shows different ways to attract pollinators to your yard.

Attracting native pollinators. Different ways to attract pollinators to your yard. 1: Nest Blocks. Find a wooden block or snag. Drill many holes into the block, but do not drill them all the way through. Holes usually have a diameter of 5/16 inch, but a variety of sizes and depths will attract a variety of bees. Hang your nest block in a protected area with light shade. 2: Stem Bundle. Collect a bundle of reed, teasel, cup plant, bamboo or wooden straws. Place the bundle in a container so that the bundle fits nice and snug and the holes are pointed out, creating many tunnels that the bees can go into. Place the bundle in a sheltered location with the stems horizontal to the ground. 3: Mud Blocks. Fill a bucket half way with clean clay soil and fill the rest with water. Stir together and let it settle. Remove sticks and debris and slowly pour off most of the water. Pour the remaining sediment into a mold, like a shoe box. Dry the block for several days or weeks. Make several 1 inch deep indentations before it dries completely. 4: Bumble Bee Nests. Provide nests for bumble bees by creating dark cavities, roughly the size of a shoe box. Let grass grow tall and then fall over, creating cavities. Or create a dense pile of brush or fieldstones in a way that provides dark, sheltered cavities. 5: Butterfly Banana. Place a peeled banana in a freezer overnight. Thaw it the next day and place it in a saucer covered with 2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses and ¼ teaspoon yeast. Hang the saucer outside and change the food every few days.
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Project Dragonfly , Graduate School