Attracting Bees, Butterflies and Moths to Your Backyard or Garden

In the United States, there are nearly 5,000 different species of native bees. Most of them are solitary, friendly bees that nest in holes in the ground or burrows in twigs and dead tree limbs. These bees do not have hives to protect them, so they are not aggressive and rarely sting. Bumblebees, carpenter bees, sweat bees, leafcutter bees, digger bees, and others pollinate many different kinds of plants. They play a critical role in healthy wild plant communities and gardens. About 30 percent of our diet is the direct result of a pollinating visit by a bee to a flowering fruit tree or vegetable plant. Providing bee habitat in your yard can increase the quality and quantity of your fruits and vegetables.

Bees are extremely sensitive to many commonly applied insecticides. If you must use chemical insecticides in your garden, apply them in the evening when bees are less likely to be active.

Bees are attracted to most flowering plants, and are especially fond of blue and yellow flowers. Try planting your garden to have different species blooming in the spring, summer, and fall.

Bee houses

A good use for untreated scrap lumber (at least 3 to 5 inches thick) is to drill holes (from 1/8-inch to 5/16-inch in diameter) about 90 percent of the way into the thick wooden block. Space the holes about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch apart. The 5/16-inch holes work best as homes for orchard bees which are excellent pollinators of fruit trees. Hang your bee blocks under the eaves of your house or garden shed, protected from direct sun and rain.

Attracting butterflies and moths

Colorful butterflies and moths add beauty and interest to your backyard. There are hundreds of different species of butterflies and moths in North America. Butterflies and moths are insects. They hatch into larvae (commonly referred to as caterpillars), eventually become pupae, and develop into colorful adults. How long the process takes depends on the species and the climate.

Butterflies and moths are amazingly particular in their food choices. The larval stage of the butterfly may require food quite different from that of the adult. Some larvae consume tremendous amounts of plant material, seemingly devouring plants overnight. A common example in the garden is the tomato hornworm which rapidly strips tomato plants of their leaves. An equally voracious, but beautiful, larvae is the Eastern black swallowtail which is found only on plants in the carrot family, including celery, carrot, dill, and parsley. A close relative is the Eastern tiger swallowtail that eats the foliage of wild cherry, birch, poplar, ash, and tulip trees.

Adult butterflies require food in liquid form such as plant-produced nectar. They get some of it from flowers and from juices of extra-ripe fruit. The types of flowering plants you grow will determine the kinds of butterflies you attract to your backyard. In addition to the plants listed for hummingbirds, butterfly bush is especially attractive. Find out what species are common in your area and use plants they like. Nectar feeders can be placed in the yard to attract butterflies. Do not use insecticides near plants for butterflies. Learn to recognize larval and egg forms. That large green and black caterpillar eating your dill may one day turn into the gorgeous butterfly you were hoping to attract!

Butterflies, like all insects, are most active when temperatures are warmer. While moths are commonly found at night, most butterflies are active on sunny, warm days. Butterflies will benefit from a basking site where they can warm up on cool mornings. Add a light-colored rock or concrete garden sculpture as a basking site. Butterflies also need a source of water. A shallow dish of water or a depression in a rock that retains water is all they need.

The following types of plants are favorites of bees and butterflies, as well as being attractive additions to a yard and garden.

• Aster (Aster spp.)
  
• Azalea (Rhododendron spp.)
  
• Bee balm (Monarda spp.)
  
• Butterfly bush (Buddleia alternifolia)
  
• Butterfly weed and other milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
  
• Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
  
• Clover and other legumes
  
• Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
  
• Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)
  
• Delphinium (Delphinium spp.)
  
• Fuchsia (Fuchsia spp.)
  
• Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)
  
• Jewel weed (Impatiens capensis or I. pallida)
  
• Lobelia (Lobelia spp.)
  
• Lupine (Lupinus spp.)
  
• Penstemon (Penstemon spp.)
  
• Phlox (Phlox spp.)
  
• Salvia (Salvia spp.)
  
• Trumpet creeper or vine (Campis radicans)
  
• Weigela (Weigela spp.)
  
• Zinnia (Zinnia spp.)
  

Before selecting plants for your yard or garden, it's a good idea to check with a local nursery about which species are most suitable for your area.

Source:
U.S. Department of Agriculture