The seeds are planted, watered, washed in sunlight, charged with electrons during a thunder and lightning storm, and nurtured to maturity. We, as absolutely human, depend on this process. But so do pollinators. The players who work hard on this green balancing act are active in our outfields 24/7.
Birds, bees, butterflies, moths, bats, beetles, ants and yes, even lowly flies have important beneficial duties to perform in the garden. Flowers, fruits and vegetables have adopted elegant systems to attract carriers and adhere and distribute their pollen for optimal survival of the species.
For a bird, insect, or bat, your garden is a metropolis filled with neon signs and billboards advertising your wares. Neon signs and billboards are flower petals. They attract attention through color, including UV markers, fragrance, shape, and size. The final reward for the transporter is the sweet and nutritious nectar of the flower. The base of the sign is the stem of the flower, which is designed to hold the flower high enough so that it can be easily seen. This ensures that it will not be trampled by the traffic of insects and creatures in the soil before it has a chance to be fertilized.
A bee has seen the UV nectar sign and is making its way to its target. The hairs on the bees’ abdomen are statically charged to help retain pollen as it rubs against the anther, which is the male part of the plant that produces fertilizer dust. Bees also have ‘saddlebags’ and ‘baskets’ built into their legs and body parts to transport pollen to the next flower. Once the pollen is brushed over the sticky stigma (female part of the plant), it travels down the stigma tube to the ovary and ovules at the base of the flower. There, each ovule develops into a new fertilized flower seed. And that’s the ultimate reward for the flower!
Evolution has further modified the plants to provide the right size nectar tube to fit the exact size of the creature’s tongue. For example, moths hover to feed, so they need a flat flower with a deep tube that matches the length of the moth’s tongue. The flower will be white or very light to be seen in the light of the moon, and it will be very perfumed to find it in the dark of night.
Bats also work the night shift. Those flowers that open after sunset and are extremely fragrant, large, showy and white with larger pollen grains will attract the attention of our eco-locators. They have bristles on their tongues that some pollen sticks to as they lick the nectar. It is then transferred to the next flower from the bat’s head, feet, and tongue. Larger, sturdier flowers will adapt to the bat’s head without damaging them. Additionally, bats can consume thousands of harmful insects each night. I would hate to think where we would be without your vigilance!
Bees are particularly attracted to yellow and blue colors, as well as sweet-smelling plants. The flower tubes of these plants turn out to be the right size for the bee’s tongue to reach. Interestingly, dragons can only be “unlocked” by a bee of the right size and weight to “provide the correct key” to open the “magic door” to the “treasure room”.
In contrast, butterflies do not have a good sense of smell, but they can see the color red. Did you know that they ‘taste’ with their feet? They have highly sensitive receptors that tell them if they are on the right nectar-rich plant or on the edge of a delicious mud puddle filled with minerals and moisture necessary for their survival. Flowers that produce smaller flower clusters create a good landing strip for butterflies so they can drink safely.
Those plants that store their pollen inside the anther rather than on top, like the tomato, need to be shaken to make sure the pollen is released through the pores of the stamen. Bumblebees provide this service. They land on the flower and then vibrate their wings, and voila!
Beetles are another flying creature that can benefit a garden. They love the spicy or fruity aromas of the large greenish or whitish flowers. Since beetles have fairly efficient chewers, these particular flowers have developed armor to protect the delicate ovules from damage as the beetles go about their pollination task.
Hummingbirds have a good sense of smell and are attracted to the tubular red, orange, and pink flowers in your garden. I’m sure you’ve seen a hummer sipping nectar from a hanging fuchsia or potted petunia. They need flower petals that curve in the opposite direction to their wings that flap quickly while feeding. Pollen is transferred to its chest, beak, and head in the process.
Songbirds don’t have a strong sense of smell, so they look for brightly colored flowers like red, orange, pink, yellow, and purple. They not only spread pollen through their beaks, heads, chests, and feet, but they distribute the seeds they have eaten through their droppings. A place where birds congregate on a regular basis will produce ‘surprise’ gardens, which have automatically been planted and fertilized by our beautiful aviators.
In addition, birds consume a large number of insects. The insects that can damage our flowers, vegetables and fruits are fed to the little birds as a source of protein rich in nutrients. This helps the birds grow fast and strong. Adult birds also benefit from these protein snacks. The Blue Jays even use ants to ‘comb’ their feathers and repel other insects with the formic acid they exude! Fortunately, our backyard birds feed on large numbers of insects every day.
All this biodiversity ensures a very varied gene pool. The larger the gene pool, the greater the chances that many different species will survive to reproduce. Resist the urge to smash a bee or smash a ladybug. Remember, they do great things for our orchards, farms, and gardens.
Without birds and other flying creatures to provide these essential benefits to our gardens, we would be invaded by harmful insects, which would then destroy our wonderful flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees. Even if they hadn’t been destroyed by insects, without the pollination process performed so efficiently by our pollinator friends, there would be no more flowers, vegetables, or fruits. Our ecological balance would be destroyed and we with it. That’s how important these hugely underrated birds and other flying creatures are to all of us!