Pollinators

Pollinators are vital to our farms and ecosystems. Bees and other pollinators are essential to a healthy environment and a sustainable food supply yet are declining in many places. Learn about pollinators and what you can do at home to support them.

What You Can Do to Help Pollinators

Plant Native Plants to Provide Pollen and Nectar Sources

Whether you are a farmer of many acres or a gardener with a small lot, you can increase the number of pollinators in your area by making conscience choices to include plants that provide essential habitat for bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.

The following Native Plant Pollinator Garden Design Templates were developed by Howard County Bee City USA for varying site conditions. After installing your pollinator garden fill out our Habitat Registration Form to include your “patch” in the Howard County Pollinator Habitat total!

Other Native Plant Resources:

Eliminate/Reduce Pesticide Use

Too many people use pesticides as a first line of defense or as an insurance policy, where a problem doesn’t exist or is not justified by a demonstrated need. When you (or your lawn company) use broadcast chemical pesticides in your yard, you ultimately kill beneficial insects, including pollinators. Pesticides should be used to treat pests only when there is proven  impact, and even then, the choice of a specific pesticide, application method, time-of-day, climatic conditions, and bloom season should be considered so that pollinators are protected from harm to the greatest extent possible.

Howard County Government took steps to reduce pesticide use on Howard County property by banning certain harmful pesticides on County property in order to promote public health and protect our environment. This is in line with our Bee City commitment to develop an integrated pest management (IPM) plan. Read the 2019 pesticide policy here.

2020 Pesticide Usage Annual Report

2021 Pesticide Usage Annual Report

Pesticides in Your Garden

Pollinator Partnership Perspective on Pesticides

Provide Nesting Habitat for Native Bees

Nesting Habitat for Native Bees

Most bee species that live in the United States (and here in Howard County) are solitary nesting, meaning the female provisions a nest on her own and there is no colony or caste system in place, as seen in honey bees. With a loss of habitat comes loss of suitable nesting sites for native bees. You can easily provide nesting habitat for a variety of solitary nesting bees by following the suggestions in this link: 5 Ways to Increase Nesting Habitat for Native Bees.

Bee houses and “hotels” are becoming more and more popular. The Office of Community Sustainability has used bamboo for DIY bee habitat projects and demonstrations. Bamboo is a very invasive plant, so harvesting some for bee houses is a win-win.

Get involved in Howard County Bee City

Get Involved in Citizen Science Projects

Learn more about Citizen Science

Howard County Becomes a Bee City

Howard County’s Bee City-USA mission is:

  • to raise awareness about the importance of native bees and other pollinators and their vital role in healthy ecosystems and;
  • to educate communities about how they can create and sustain healthy habitat for pollinators that are rich in a variety of native plants and free to nearly free of pesticides.

We join a select group of jurisdictions across the nation as leaders in the work to preserve our environment, protect our food, and combat climate change.

As a Bee City, we will:

  • Host educational events, pollinator habitat plantings, and restorations to showcase Howard County’s commitment to raising awareness of pollinator conservation and expanding pollinator health
  • Develop a program to create or expand pollinator-friendly habitat on public and private land
  • Create an integrated pest management (IPM) plan designed to prevent pest problems, reduce pesticide use, and expand the use of non-chemical pest management methods
  • And we will establish a policy in the County’s General Plan to commit to the Bee City USA designation, as well as renewing our certification every year.

Follow these links to view the Howard County Executive Order and learn more about Bee City. Keep informed on all things Bee City by joining the pollinator email list. Check out our first newsletter here.

Howard County’s Bee City is led by a Committee that represents a partnership between local government, non-profits, and businesses. Committee members and supporting organizations include:

Pollinators Provide Ecosystem Services

  • More than 85% of flowering plants require an insect to move pollen.
  • Pollinators enable plants to produce fruits and seeds.
  • Fruits and seeds are a major part of the diet of about 25% of birds and many mammals.
  • Without pollinators, many plant species in natural habitats would become extinct.

Pollinators Provide Economic Value

  • Pollinators are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food in our diets.
  • Animal products such as meats and dairy rely on insect pollinated clover and alfalfa.
  • Annual value of insect pollinated crops worldwide is estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars per year.

Bee Background

Did you know? There are over 400 different species of bees in Maryland. In addition to the European honey bee, there are approximately 150 native bee species in Howard County. Get familiar with the Bees of Maryland with this field guide.

Wild, native bees, are different than honey bees in a variety of ways. Honey bees have been naturalized in the US and are native to Europe. They are mostly managed by humans for their pollination services in a variety of food crops—and also honey. Wild, native bees include species that have evolved over time with plants and wildlife that are naturally found in the United States. The 3,600+ wild bees found in the US play an important role in the pollination of our flowering plants as well as food crops, and are vital in filling the pollination gap left by the imperiled honey bee. These native bees come in a variety of sizes from the large carpenter bee to the tiny Perdita bee.

Honey bees and wild bees have one major thing in common – their populations are being threatened by habitat loss, pesticides, pests, a changing climate, and invasive plants.