Bringing Back the Buzz

(Page 2 of 2)

February/March 2003
By the Mother Earth News editors 
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Provide nesting blocks for pollen bees. Habitat for these bees can be as simple as 5/16-inch holes drilled into an old log or small blocks of wood (visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory Web site at www.loganbeelab.usu.edu /) or you can purchase pre-drilled blocks from Fedco ( www.feedcoseeds.com) and other garden product suppliers.

Lose your lawn. Create your own pollinator-friendly garden by planting a variety of native flowering plants. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center offers lists of native flowering plants and links to local native plant societies [(512) 292-4200 or www.wildflower.org ] .

Use organic pest-control methods, not pesticides. Common-Sense Pest Control by William Olkowski is a veritable treasure trove of information on least-toxic techniques.

Make habitat for pollinators and other wild critters. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Program [(888) LANDCARE or www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/wildhab.html ] gives valuable tips on establishing beneficial back yards. Also see The National Wildlife Federation's Habitat Program Web site [ www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat ] , where you can keep track of your own back yard's development and learn about species native to your area. Last but not least, support growers who use pollinator-friendly practices and buy organic food as often as you can.

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