How to Attract Pollinators to Your Backyard
Pollinators are not something you purchase. They are something you invite.
Creating the right habitat encourages pollinators to live and forage in your yard.
Native Plants Are the Biggest Attraction
Plants native to Central Ohio are the most effective way to support pollinators.
Examples include:
Purple coneflower
Black-eyed Susan
Milkweed
Bee balm
Goldenrod
Wild bergamot
New England aster
Serviceberry
Redbud
Native plants evolved alongside local pollinators, which makes them especially effective food sources.
Essential Backyard Habitat
Pollinators need more than flowers. They also need nesting spaces and shelter.
Important habitat features include:
Bare soil patches for ground-nesting bees
Leaf litter left in place during fall
Hollow plant stems left standing through winter
Bee houses that are properly maintained
These small features dramatically increase pollinator activity.
Practices to Avoid
Some common yard practices unintentionally harm pollinators.
Avoid the following:
Neonicotinoid pesticides
Mosquito yard spray treatments
Over-mulching every garden bed
Heavy lawn chemical use
Reducing chemical inputs is one of the most impactful changes homeowners can make.
