What is a Pollinator?

Written By: Aimee Turcotte
Zoo Educator

When you think about pollinators, what animals come to mind? Bees? Hummingbirds? Butterflies? There are many types of pollinators, with a few not as known as others. For instance, did you know that beetles, bats, lemurs, honey possums, slugs, gnats, reptiles, and true bugs are also pollinators? Pollinators transfer pollen from the male part of a flower (stamen) to the female part of a flower (stigma). By moving pollen between flowers of the same species, these pollinators fertilize plants, which can then create seeds, fruits, and young plants. There are plants that do not need the assistance of pollinators because they can self-pollinate or are pollinated by the movement of pollen through the wind or water. However, without pollinators, plants that are mainly fertilized by pollinators would not be capable of creating offspring for the next generation.

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Do pollinators know one of their responsibilities is to pollinate flowers? Well, a few pollinators intentionally collect pollen while others do so accidentally. When moving between flowers, for purposes like feeding or drinking, pollen grains may get on a pollinator’s body. Pollen falling off a pollinator onto a flower may result in fertilization that is either full, partial, or non-existent. Full fertilization is when there is enough pollen on the stigma of a flower, causing the creation of fruits or seeds. Partial fertilization occurs when a pollinator brings pollen to the stigma of a flower, but only enough for the plant to produce fruits or seeds that are not fully developed. When there is no fertilization (non-existent), no fruit or seed is produced by a flower because of a lack of pollen grains.

Why should we care about pollinators? Without pollinators, humans would not survive! We rely on crop plants that are fertilized by pollinators for food and plant-based industrial products. Global pollination services are worth approximately 3 trillion dollars. Additionally, more carbon dioxide is being released into the air due to the burning of fossil fuels for energy. Plants fertilized by pollinators utilize the carbon dioxide in the air to produce oxygen, which provides humans and animals with clean air. Lastly, the roots of flowers hold soil together, preventing erosion. Erosion would cause the loss of food crops, the clogging of waterways, and increased pollution.

How can you help care for pollinators? If you have a backyard, you can plant a garden with native plants that local caterpillars eat. A few plants you can grow are Common Milkweed, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Butterfly Bush, New England Aster, Garden Phlox, Black-eyed Susan, Sunflower, Mountain Mint, Purple Coneflower, Cardinal Flower, and Bearded Iris. If you do not have a backyard, you can always grow a plant in a pot! Another step you can take to care for pollinators is reduce, reuse, and recycle. Try to decrease the amount of waste you produce to prevent pollution in habitats where pollinators live. In conclusion, read, read some more, and read even more! You can read information about pollinators and share your knowledge with friends and family to help them learn about how they can protect pollinators!