1. What’s happening and what you can do to help
Pollinators
What’s happening and what you can do to help

2. Pollinators
Carry pollen from the male to the female flower, which allows production of seeds and fruits
Include birds, bats, small mammals, flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, bees

3. Importance of Pollinators

4. Importance of Pollinators
Vital to creating and maintaining habitats and ecosystems, affects animals and our environment
Biodiversity
Agriculture and the economy
Benefits to self pollinating crops
A number of studies have shown that introducing hives near fields increased yields by 8-18%. Not many that exclude bees from areas, but one in Brazil, grew them in cages to be able to exclude bees, showed 50% increase when bees were present.

5. 1 in 3 Bites of Food Comes From Pollinators

6. The Monarch Butterfly

7. Monarch Lifecycle
Host Plant: Milkweed Egg 3-4 days Caterpillar days J Hang 1 day Shedding Skin 10 minutes Chrysalis days Emergence 5 minutes Adult butterfly 2-6 weeks Late July-Early September
In Ohio, happening late July through August, September?

8. Monarch Migration

9. 4 Generations Per Year

10. Decline of Pollinators
Colony Collapse Disorder
Monarchs
Native Pollinators – 4,000 species of bees alone
Solitary bees
Nest in the ground, brush, dead trees rather than in hives or colonies
Bumblebees

11. Causes Loss of habitat Disease Parasites Insecticides
Land conversion
Invasive species
Herbicide use
Disease
Parasites
Insecticides
Changing weather patterns

12. National Strategy to Help Pollinators and Their Habitat
Released by the White House in 2015
3 Main Goals
Honey Bees: Reduce honey bee colony losses during winter to no more than 15% within 10 years.
Monarch Butterflies: Increase the Eastern population of the monarch butterfly to 225 million butterflies occupying an area of approximately 15 acres (6 hectares) in the overwintering grounds in Mexico, through domestic/international actions and public-private partnerships, by 2020.
Pollinator Habitat Acreage: Restore or enhance 7 million acres of land for pollinators over the next 5 years through federal actions and public/private partnerships.

13. In the Headlines
In August, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton issued an executive order regarding the use of neonicotinoid insecticides. Now must prove a need before applying.
Last spring Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced they will no longer use neonicotinoids in their Ortho lawn and garden products beginning in 2017.
General Mills to donate $2 million to establish 100,000 acres of pollinator habitat
Report from the United Nations estimates 40% of the world’s pollinators are facing extinction

14. Endangered Species List
7 Hawaii native bee species recently added to the list – first time bees have been protected
Rusty Patch Bumblebee is under consideration

15. Monarch Decline
.67 ha = 1.6 acres

16. Monarch Decline
Has been petitioned to add them to the Endangered Species List
White House Strategy goal of increasing population to 6 hectares by 2020
Ohio designated a priority area

17. Voluntary Initiatives
What if the goal is reached?
What if the goal isn’t reached?
Protection of milkweed
Mowing
Spraying
Regulation of insecticides
Fields, pasture, roadsides, backyards, construction projects
“If the Monarch is listed as endangered, it’s no longer a conversation. At that point there are no more options.”

18. A Sign of a Bigger Problem
Native pollinators are keystone species that indicate ecosystem health
Many species are suffering
Monarchs = Ambassador species
Building habitat for pollinators will benefit many species

19. Think about your property
How much would you consider natural habitat beneficial for wildlife?
What can we do with the property we own to help the cause?

20. All You Can, Where You Can

21. Closing

22. Where to Go From Here Small steps by many Get involved
Begin with your property
Milkweed pod collection
Groups
Citizen science

23. Resources

24. Contact Information
Anna Smith
Preble SWCD Outreach Coordinator
(937)
Renee Buck
Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist
(937)

26. All You Can, Where You Can