Insect hotel image from It can be difficult to build all of this into small gardens, but many pollinator insects will have home ranges of a few hundred metres, while birds and mammals can travel much further. Insect hotels attract wood-nesting insects. About 75% of bee species dig their nests into the ground, usually in sandy, uncompacted soil, preferably on a slope that won’t get waterlogged. But only a small proportion of the world’s bee species are wood-nesters. Insect hotels can provide homes for insects that usually nest in dead wood. Trees that produce resins and sap flows, such as conifers, acacias and eucalypts, are also useful for some native bee and wasp species that use resin to seal their nest cells. Large trees with rough or shedding bark that creates lots of cracks and crevices are excellent shelter for insects and small lizards. Small plants and shrubs provide good shelter for insects and very small birds, while larger trees will attract visits from more mobile birds and mammals. Vertical structure, built from multiple layers of different plant heights, provides more spaces for wildlife to co-exist. The structure and design of a garden can determine what wildlife species will visit or make a home. Native plants can attract birds, such as this New Holland honeyeater. Modern hybrid varieties should be chosen carefully, as some are bred for commercial fruit or flower traits (like size or colour), but the flowers lack the nectar or scent cues that attract pollinators looking for food. Native plants are an ideal option for attracting native pollinator insects and birds, but many garden exotics, especially herbs, fruit and vegetable plants, are just as popular. A general rule of thumb for a pollinator garden is one that produces flowers for most of the year and is built on diversity – monocultures of any single flower type or colour will suit only a very small number of generalist species. Many “plants for pollinators” lists available online are based on local experiences and rarely apply to all geographic regions. There is no single best combination of flowers for wild bees. Unlike other insect groups, native bee larvae develop almost exclusively on pollen collected by their parents, so flowers are essential to grow native bee populations. John Tann/Flickr, CC BY Flowers are just the first stepįlowers produce sugar (nectar) and protein (pollen), the main diet for many adult insects and birds. Butterflies are important pollinators in backyards.
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