Protecting pollinators and beneficial insects after the garden season

While the growing season has ended for many gardeners and farmers, managing habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects is a year-round process. Purposeful habitat management and the use of native plants provide important food, shelter, and overwintering habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife.As temperatures drop, many insects seek shelter from predators and winter weather. According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, pollinators and beneficial insects—including native bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and predatory wasps—rely on natural materials such as leaf litter, soil, dead wood, brush piles, and standing plant stems for nesting and overwintering. Many native bees nest underground, while others use hollow stems and cavities in wood.The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is home to a diverse community of native pollinators, including bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies, moths, and flies.

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