Pollinator Resources and Their Conservation References and Links

Check out the following pollinator resources for information on honey bees and native pollinators. These include information on pollinator habitat, bee identification, and crop pollination.

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GENERAL POLLINATOR INFORMATION

USDA Forest Service Pollinator Information – The USDA Forest Service has several informational pages on beneficial insects, why pollination is important, and how pollination works.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation – The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of pollinators and their habitats. Learn more on pollinator conservation and sign the Pollinator Protection Pledge.

The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) – NAPPC is a body of scientists, researchers, conservationists, government officials, and volunteers aimed at protecting, promoting, and documenting the North American native pollinators and migrating pollinators. Learn more about their current research studies.

Pollinator Partnership for Information and Resources – The North American Pollinator Partnership which is dedicated to protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems. Register your pollinator garden.

NRCS Plant Releases for Pollinator Conservation Plantings – The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has released native wildflowers and legumes that are useful in creating habitat for butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other important pollinators. View their list of plant releases.

NRCS Plants for Pollinators Resource Page – View the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service resource page on pollinator conservation and planting suggestions for various regions.

US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Pollinators – View the US FWS website to gain resources on how you can help pollinators and retrieve outreach and educational materials to use for all ages.

USGS Pollinator Library – View the U.S. Geological Survey pollinator library by clicking here and search for specific pollinator identification, images, information, attracting plant species, and more.

The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund – Learn about this program for landowners in the Midwest which provides seed and guidance for creating pollinator habitats.

Project Apis m. – Find out more on this organization that funds and directs research to enhance health of honey bees while improving crop production.

CROP POLLINATION & POLLINATOR CONSERVATION FOR FARMERS

Pollinating Highbush Blueberries – Learn the fundamental benefits of honey bees on blueberry pollination by this study first published by the Michigan State University Extension.

Information on Blueberry Pollinators from USDA Agricultural Research Service – Read about blueberry pollination and the effects of native bees and honey bees from this article published by the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

USDA Improving Forage For Native Bee Crop Pollinators – See how the USDA National Agroforestry Center is improving foraging and increasing habitats for native pollinators. This includes a step-by-step guide on planning your own foraging enhancements.

Native Bee Benefits: How to Increase Native Bee Pollination On Your Farm In Several Steps – Read the habitat and foraging needs and how to effectively implement them on your own farm. Obtain the necessary steps on encouraging native bees to come to your farm and review funding opportunities.

Wikipedia’s List of Crop Plants Pollinated By Bees – Review a list of plants that are primarily pollinated by honey bees, native bees, or other pollinators.

Conserving Native Bees on Farmland – Improve the sustainable pollination of your crops on your farm. This article is posted by Michigan State University Extension for US farmers to adopt general practices to support native pollinators.

Syngenta’s Operation Pollinator for Farmlands – This farmland program is designed to restore native pollinators by creating essential habitats.

POLLINATOR PROGRAMS

Syngenta’s Operation Pollinator for Golf Courses – Learn more about how golf courses can make an impact on insect pollinators by providing habitats while enhancing the visual appearance of the course and greens with Syngenta.

Bayer’s Feed A Bee Program – Learn and participate in Bayer’s Feed A Bee program which has planted more than three billion wildflowers since 2015 to feed the bees.

Million Pollinator Garden Challenge – This program’s focus is to increase the number of pollinator-friendly gardens and landscapes to revive the health of bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators.

BEE AND INSECT IDENTIFICATION

BugGuide – Insect Identification – Sign up to the free BugGuide website to post images of unidentified North American insects for identification and participate in active forums on bugs and insects.

Discover Life Bee Identification – Use the Discover Life free online tools to identify bee species. Contribute to and learn from a growing, interactive encyclopedia of life with 850,993 species pages and 681,227 maps.

An Introduction to Our Native Bees – Read the USDA Forest Service and Pollinator Partnership Publication on native bees to learn more about your native pollinators by clicking here.

Bumble Bees of the Western United States – A guide with information and photographs to identify and learn about bumble bees in the Western U.S.

Bumble Bees of the Eastern United States – A field guide to identify, name, and further explore the colorful and charming bumble bees in the Eastern U.S.