Books with title Mosquitoes: Native Pollinators

Mosquitoes bite. Their bites make us itchy. They make an annoying whining sound. Most people hate them. But mosquitoes are also pollinators. Pollinators help plants to grow. Orchids and goldenrods need pollination by mosquitoes to survive. Like butterflies, the elephant mosquito carries pollen from flower to flower. Native Pollinators: Mosquitoes is a good place to start learning about the role of mosquitoes in the life cycle of plants.

When people think of bees, they often think of the honeybee. Honeybees are important. They deserve a lot of buzz. But they are not native to America. Colonists brought the honeybee to Virginia in 1622. Americas only native bee is the bumblebee, and there are 46 different kinds of bumblebee. Our bumblebees pollinate flowers on apple, plum, pear, almond, peach, and many more plants. They work twice as fast as honeybees, and they work for free to give us the fruits and vegetables that we love to eat. Native Pollinators: Bees is a good place to start learning about these American originals.

Moths are fuzzier and fatter than their butterfly cousins. A lot of moths are brown and dull looking. Butterflies get songs and poems written about them. Hardly anyone swoons over moths. But moths deserve our respect and attention. Moths are pollinators, and many are native to America. While most insect pollinators work during the day, moths take the night shift. They visit flowers that bloom under the light of the moon. Moths play a vital role in the life cycle of plants. Some are beautiful, too, like the large, green Luna moth and the lo Moth, which looks like it has two large eyes on its wings. Native Pollinators: Moths is a good place to start learning about these fascinating night pollinators.

Flies get no respect. People shoo them. They swat them. They use bug spray to kill them. But the next time you see a fly, think twice before you strike. Flies can be annoying but helpful too. They are pollinators. Pollinators help plants produce the fruits and vegetables we love to eat. Flies pollinate pears, strawberries, and even cacao, the nut used to make chocolate. Flies work hard for usand they do it for free! Native Pollinators: Flies is a good place to start to learn about these hardworking insects.