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nectar as possible.” It is usually a Yellowjacket, which is a wasp, that stings people, Tallamy explains.
Most native bees nest or overwinter in the ground, but some use soft wood (such as dead branches) while others use plants with pithy (spongy) or hollow stems. Tallamy points out, “many of us work hard to eliminate these valuable resources. Our fall cleanup is particularly hard on bee populations.”
Bee hotels are an easy way to increase the nesting capacity of your yard for native bees, but Tallamy advises that these “hotels” need to be small and scattered around. Large commercial bee hotels are too accessible to predators and make it easier for diseases to spread, making bees more vulnerable.
A final word of advice is to have something blooming when bees are active, which can be much of the year. Tallamy writes, “a landscape that goes through a two- or three-week period with no available blooms is deadly to bees.”
Small Yard or No Yard?
You don’t need half an acre to make a difference. Planting one native keystone tree, some shrubs and a few flowers might be just the rest stop an exhausted migratory bird needs. A few containers of flowering native plants on a balcony can provide food for butterflies and bees. Tallamy encourages us to think of our property as part of a giant jigsaw puzzle. The habitat you create in your yard is one piece; the neighbors’ yards might be others; nearby parks, forests and so on are also pieces. In the process we can learn to appreciate chewed-up leaves over those that are perfect but of little ecological value.
Pachysphinx occidentalis, Big Poplar Sphinx, Hillsboro. The larvae of this species feed on cottonwoods.
If you don’t have any yard, then working to have native plants along roadsides, railroads, airports, golf courses, city centers, and parks in your community can add vital pieces to the puzzle. If you are part of a homeowner’s association, Tallamy suggests working to educate the members, perhaps even by adopting a local endangered species.
Ascalapha odorata, Black Witch Moth, Hillsboro. The larva stage feeds on catclaw.
Personal Benefits
We appreciate that spending time in nature is good for us. Tallamy writes, “The extraordinary health and social benefits we derive from exposure to nature are short-lived and realized only from repeated exposures.” If we create our own natural space, we can enjoy it at any time, alone if desired, and without having to drive somewhere. The children in our lives can develop a sense of stewardship by helping with the planting and discover the natural world at their own pace.
Creating a self-sustaining native plant community will bring wildlife to our yards and joy to our lives. At the same time, the more we get involved in creating Homegrown National Park, the more we will be building healthier ecosystems and stopping the decline of the many species who share our life on Earth.
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