DR. MERCOLA’S BLOG

How You Can Help Save Pollinators

There’s no way to put a price on the value of pollinators; their contributions to the world are truly priceless. Aside from food production, pollination is necessary for the survival of many other plant species as well, like wildflowers. Such flowering plants help provide clean air, help purify water and prevent erosion, since their roots help hold soil in place. Even their foliage acts as a buffer for rain falling on the earth, notes the USDA Forest Service.¹¹ They continued:¹²

“Without pollinators, the human race and all of earth’s terrestrial ecosystems would not survive. Of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world, i.e., those that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination by animals.

Visits from bees and other pollinators also result in larger, more flavorful fruits and higher crop yields … Globally, pollination services are likely worth more than 3 trillion dollars.”

If you want to get involved in saving these precious species, there’s a lot you can do, including buying organic and locally grown food. In addition, the Pollinator Partnership recommends:¹³

• Growing native plants, especially those that provide nectar and larval food for pollinators
• Installing houses for bats and native bees
• Supplying salt or mineral licks for butterflies and water for all wildlife
• Reducing pesticide use
• Substituting flower beds for lawns