Pollinators are animals which transport pollen from one plant to another aiding in the plant’s reproduction – creating seeds & fruits. Common pollinators include insects (especially bees), butterflies, moths, birds, bats and small mammals. Pollinators are important for a healthy ecosystem & critical to many food crops, but are often lacking in urban gardens &
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Don’t Swat That Fly! Common Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata) on Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ Flies are often thought of as pests, living in garbage & decay, but in fact flies are among the most common anthophilous insects. Although flies are not as hairy as bees, making them less effective at carrying pollen, research indicates that
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Don’t squash this bug! Leschenaultia sp. Tachinid flies are amongst the largest families of true flies with approximately 8,000 species world wide. They are generally solitary and are about the size of a housefly, but can be quite diverse in appearance. Although the more noticeable tachnids with their big bristly abdomens look as though they
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Don’t squash this bug Beetles were among one of the first order of insects to pollinate flowers and still play an important role in pollination today. Adult Red-necked False Blister Beetles -Asclera ruficollis are commonly found in woodland areas from March – May. They feed on pollen of spring wildflowers. Please refrain from using insecticides
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