Did you Know?...

• Butterflies, moths, bees and wasps and more visit milkweed for pollen and/or nectar.
• Milkweed would have to be ingested in large amounts before being dangerous to livestock and human, besides the fact that it has a nasty taste.  If sufficient forage is available, livestock won't touch it.
• Milkweed is a native plant in Ohio.
• Monarch Butterflies are nearly endangered.

Things You Should Know About Pollinators

• A pollinator unknowingly can deposit pollen from a different flower.  The plant then uses the pollen to produce a fruit or seed.
• Three-fourths of the world's flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce.
• The most common avian pollinator is the hummingbird but there are two species of bat that are major pollinators in the Southwest.
• The U.S. is home to 4,000 species of native bees.
• Pollinators' ecological service is valued at $200 billion each year in the U.S.
• NRCS offers more that 3 dozen conservation activities that can lead to benefits for pollinators.
• 90% of your vitamin C comes from insect-pollinated plants.
• Some flowers hold static charges until visited.  Bumblebees, sensing static electricity, know which flowers to visit.
• Pollinators are facing challenges such as habitat loss, disease, parasites and environmental contaminants.  
• you can help!  Provide food and habitat for pollinators to help them thrive.  you can do this in a backyard, crop field or even volunteer with a conservation organization.

Types of Pollinators

• Bees are the main pollinators for fruits and vegetables.  
• Nectar seeking butterflies are daytime visitors and moths are their nocturnal counterpart.
• Birds, Bats and Hummingbirds are the most common avian pollinator in the continental U.S  Two species of bats are major pollinators in the Southwest.
• Beetles, flies and other insects are common flower visitors and pollinators.