Pollinators and pollinator week

- Patricia Hanbidge

June 12, 2025

key points from this story:

• Pollinator Week runs June 16-22, 2025
• Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, and more
• Bees are the most important pollinators
• Pollinators are crucial for food supply
• Populations are declining due to human activity
• Gardeners can help by planting native plants

In Canada, Pollinator Week 2025 is celebrated from June 16th to June 22nd. This event was initiated by the Pollinator Partnership which is a United States not for profit dedicated to the health, protection and conservation of all pollinators. This annual event has grown internationally and involves a broad collaboration of diverse partners. Pollinators are organisms that play a crucial role in plant reproduction by transferring pollen from the male part of a flower (anther) to the female part (stigma). Pollinators are vital for the production of many crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and also contribute to the health and biodiversity of ecosystems. They include a wide variety of species with bees being the most common. However, other important pollinators include butterflies, moths, wasps, flies, some beetles, hummingbirds and bats.

Bees are the most important group of pollinators. With the exception of a few species of wasps, it is only the bees that deliberately gather pollen to bring back to their nests for their offspring. Bees also exhibit a behavior that is called flower constancy which means they repeatedly visit one particular plant species on any given foraging trip. A female bee on a single foraging trip may visit hundreds of flowers, transferring pollen throughout the entire trip. Other pollinators like butterflies, moths, flies, wasps and beetles visit the flowers to feed on the nectar – or the flower itself and do not collect pollen.

There are an estimated 20,000 different species of bees worldwide with about 3600 that are native to North America (north of Mexico). Their body length ranges from 2 to 25 mm and range in colour from dark brown or black to red or metallic green and blue. Some have stripes of white, orange, yellow or black and a few even have opalescent bands.

Pollinators are vital for the environment and human food supply being responsible for one out of every 3 bites of food we eat. However, pollinator populations are declining globally due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. It is essential for us to protect and support pollinators in order to maintain food security, ecosystem health and biodiversity.

There are many things that you can do to help provide habitat for pollinators. Plant native plants as they have co-evolved with local insect species and provide a suitable source of nectar and pollen. Plan for continuous bloom in your garden which is not only good for pollinators but lovely for the humans too. Provide diverse flower shapes and colours to ensure you can attract and provide for all pollinators. Choose a sunny spot as most pollinators are cold-blooded and need the sun’s warmth to be active. Ensuring you have shelter from the wind to allow your pollinators to be more comfortable. All living critters need water, so a shallow bowl filled with rocks is a great way to provide water to even the smallest pollinator. If you leave a messy bit somewhere in the garden, you will see that many pollinators will be found in this area. If you do not like to view the messy bit, tuck it in behind some vegetation so you can not easily view it. Last but not least, do not use pesticides.