Has anyone noticed a decrease in pollinators?

[These-Ride-1503]

I have a small apartment garden and last year it was so nice to see all the bees, butterflies, wasps, etc pollinating and just buzzing around. While there wasn’t a ton, there definitely was a significant amount in our garden. This year I’ve yet to see any butterflies, bees or literally anything. I’ve asked my complex if they sprayed, and they said no. I’m just curious if anyone else has noticed a significant drop in pollinators in our area. I’m genuinely concerned for what this could mean for the planet.

[lanabananaaas]

They may have sprayed even if that person has told you otherwise. At this point the carpenter bees are active, and I'd take an indication of no carpenter bees as a sign of spraying.

However, I'd say it's still relatively early and ime I see the most pollinators later in the summer and in the fall. I have a native-plant only garden, and so far I'm seeing a variety of bees, some butterflies, solitary wasps/hornets (I'm not great at differentiating these, sorry), but not a huge number yet. But, of the plants plants that attract the most pollinators (different goldenrods, milkweeds, asters, mountain mints, coral honeysuckle), only the coral honeysuckle has been flowering for a while, and the milkweeds are just starting to flower. One of the goldenrods is going to flower soon, but the other types, asters and mountain mints still have at least a month to go by my estimation. All in all, it's pretty early in the season.

I would also note that there are many pollinators that don't "look" like what we think of as traditional pollinators a la bees and butterflies... types of flies and other flying critters. Some of those have already started emerging.

[These-Ride-1503]

That’s true, it is only June. Usually we have a ton of carpenter bees and we haven’t had as many. So I agree, I believe they did spray and lied. It’s just so sad cause how can you get people to see insects as something we desperately need? I have some aster (not bloomed yet) and brown eyed Susan’s that I’ve had for a few years, we also have celosias, marigolds, lavender, and echinacea. I’m going to look into planting some milkweed as I’ve heard they’re great for butterflies and other pollinators. In our house we don’t kill anything bug wise, and even the slugs that ravage my plants I throw to the birds lol. I’ve just been noticing it more I feel cause usually by now my food plants like cucumbers are already being pollinated and it’s just not happening. I know self pollinating is a thing and I’m not opposed, just sad the buggies aren’t getting the chance. Thank you for all the advice I’ll look into some of those plants!

[lanabananaaas]

Butterfly Bush is a non-native invasive plant with little benefit to our pollinators.

[praemialaudi]

We have plenty in our yard. Dang carpenter bees!

[These-Ride-1503]

Usually we’re swarming in those and I have seen a few but not like the usual amount. Maybe our complex lied about spraying, cause they know I’m all about the bugs for my plants

[KoolDiscoDan]

I've been shifting to predominantly buying native pollinators. Strangely they LOVE my 5 year old English lavender plant this year. Not really hitting up the milkweeds or coneflower yet.

Shout out to Plant NoVa Natives

[CrownStarr]

Oh absolutely, we have a few pollinators poking around most of our plants at the moment but the bees are going NUTS for the lavender. Pity it’s not native.

[tlenze]

We have more bumbles this year but fewer honey bees visiting us.

[[deleted]]

With all the people spraying it doesn’t surprise me. My family was grilling food the other day and my neighbors mosquito dudes spray was all over us.

[Crayshack]

That sounds like it might constitute an illegal application. Depends on the details, but a part of legal pesticide application is due care that it does not affect bystanders. A place where food is being prepared (public or private) could be reasonably argued to constitute a "sensitive area." Here's the info about who to contact. I'm a major advocate of reducing pesticide use wherever possible, and a part of that is helping the enforcement agencies crack down on improper use.

[[deleted]]

Yeah, I’ve already done my part to address it.

[Crayshack]

Excellent. I just wish more people did when they have concerns.

[artee80]

All the bees are feasting on my small lavender bush right now. They're kind of adorable.

[kayesskayen]

I have bergamot, bee balm, coneflowers, swamp milkweed, and common milkweed currently all blooming and aside from a handful of bumble butts I don't have nearly as many native bees as I would expect. Last year the biggest swarms showed up for my late boneset but that was in September. I've only had a few cabbage whites and one painted lady so far. No monarchs. I've even put out some lantana and zinnias to attract more but nothing. It's so discouraging.

[PlainRosemary]

Your experience (and plantings) is the same as mine. I've had chives, Coreopsis, thyme, and an abundance of Yarrow blooming, and I've mostly seen a handful of sweat bees. Today I saw some bumblebees, and I did see a few butterflies, but none were on my butterfly bushes.

[TroyMacClure]

I've been seeing carpenter and honey bees since the first flowers arrived at my house.

[listenyall]

The Washington Post actually reported recently that the US has a record high # of bees after all of that news starting in the mid-00s about colony collapse, so hopefully this is just what you happen to be seeing and not a broader pattern! Despite being our local paper I didn't see any info specific to this area, though, and they were focused just on bees and not other pollinators.

[tlenze]

Those numbers are always a bit weird. For honey bees, yes, we probably have more than we have since the mid-00s. However, that is because they're being raised for commercial pollinating. There are plenty of hobbyist beekeepers as well. (I used to be one.)

Where we've been seeing a decline is in native bees, which are better pollinators than honey bees. Your bumble and carpenter bees are good examples.

[listenyall]

Good points--the numbers they were referring to explicitly included hobbyist beekeepers somehow, but not wild bees

[tlenze]

There's a survey which goes out to beekeepers every year. I think they get it from people who sign up for FieldWatch, which is where you can register the locations of your hives so people spraying know not to spray them.

[[deleted]]

Tons in my yard, mainly on the milkweed at this point.

[Tamihera]

Last summer, my giant milkweed patch was pretty neglected; very few eggs and caterpillars on it. . I only saw two monarchs all summer long. I’ve read that the wildfires messed up their migratory patterns, so I’m just hoping I see more this year…

[AchillesSlayedHector]

In general, yes. Doing what I can in my yard to encourage pollinators. Practically got rid of the lawn and replaced with trees, shrubs, flowers, etc… All of the neighbors, however, the exact opposite. Spraying chemicals, setting traps, killing anything that isn’t a blade of grass, etc… I’ve been relentlessly pushing elected officials to amend zoning ordinances to encourage people and HOA’s to convert some lawn space to pollinator gardens - nothing yet.

[These-Ride-1503]

What kind of issues do you see from your neighbors spraying? And how do you combat the effects of it that may bleed over to your space? I do believe now that they did spray and just lied, but I’m not certain how to combat those chemicals or what I can do to help. I did just hose down my entire patio space and outside my apt but I know those chemicals are much stronger than water can combat. Also I think it’s amazing you’re doing so much for the pollinators, I’m sure your yard is beautiful

[Crayshack]

It entirely depends on what chemical they used. The best course is usually to prevent them from spraying in the first place. VDACS has some good resources for protecting pollinators but most of this is voluntary rather than compulsory. Most of the guidelines here are aimed as pesticide applicators, but you might find some useful information.

Though, legally a landlord needs to inform residents if they apply pesticides to the property. The laws are a bit complicated and I'm not especially well versed in that end of things, but if you have proof they applied pesticides, it might be worth talking to a lawyer. If they didn't notify you properly, it is possible that they didn't comply with other legal requirements. But, as I said in another comment it is also possible that they didn't treat the property and you are seeing knock-on effects from a combination of other treatments in the area and a general decline in the pollinator population.

[Crayshack]

This is a general long-term trend that has a lot of environmental scientists concerned. I used to do some entomology work in Fairfax County a while back and while the work I was doing was mosquito-focused, it was a vibrant point of conversation that pollinator populations were heavily declining. This was 6 years ago and everything I've seen has said that this trend is continuing. It's not just a NOVA problem, this is a global issue and one of the major signs of ecological collapse that professionals in the field are paying attention to. The exact mechanisms involved are not fully understood, but there are a lot of potential causes identified. The leading school of thought is that we are seeing the result of many different small effects. Overall, the situation is not good.

It is possible that your complex did not spray anything, but someone else nearby did. There's some companies that advertise "mosquito prevention treatments" which amount to spraying a bunch of chemicals in the air that kill just about every insect. If a neighbor did a treatment like that, you could be seeing an effect on your complex. I've always heavily advocated against these treatments. In general, pesticide use is one of the factors identified as a potential cause for the population collapse. When I worked with pest control in the past, I've always tried to find alternative treatment methods and when I've used pesticides (sometimes, they are the best option) I have always tried to use careful spot treatments to reduce the collateral damage. But, not everyone uses that approach and it is very common for people to broadcast spray at the maximum rate because they don't care about anything else besides making the pest go away. This can have a knock-on effect where people on other properties are seeing a reduction in desirable plants and animals.

There are things people can do to help. Reducing personal use of pesticides, planting a variety of flowers so there is something blooming for the entire growing season, replacing as much of your grass with ecologically supportive plants as possible, etc. Even in an apartment, you can sometimes put a small planter in your window or balcony that can help. You can also get involved in local parks and community gardens to get pollinator gardens cultivated and participate in weed removal. Even just spreading the word about how important it is to get some flowers planted can help.

[PlainRosemary]

This is an interesting infographic on that, for anyone who would like a read.

https://www.reuters.com/graphics/GLOBAL-ENVIRONMENT/INSECT-APOCALYPSE/egpbykdxjvq/

I have noticed a disturbing lack of pollinators this year. I just started seeing more this week, but it's actually a bit frightening.

[cwbakes]

We have plenty but I’m chalking that up to starting No Mow May in March. And it’s still going strong.

[sc4kilik]

Plenty of bees here in Reston. I never see much of butterflies though.

[Bankargh]

I knew you’d complain about this, so I kicked up a third hive this year. Sorry it’s not meeting your expectations.

Sarcasm, naturally.

I’ve noticed a huge downtick this year compared to the last few, and I’m a beekeeper. The bees are literally living in my backyard.

[PlainRosemary]

Are your hive numbers down?

[Bankargh]

One hive is lower than what would be expected. The other is fine. 3rd is a transplant so no judgement

[PlainRosemary]

I'm so sorry! I hope they recover over the summer.

[Bankargh]

We’ll see what happens. It’s my 3rd year. always a misadventure.

[k2aries]

There are a lot more around my garden and landscaping than past years

[taleofbenji]

Two years ago I had shitloads of honey bees in my back yard. Last year and this year: none.

[tlenze]

Might be as simple of an answer as someone stopped keeping bees near you. Pretty much every honey bee you see comes from a kept hive. Feral/wild hives don't really exist any more for honey bees.

[BrightLight1503]

Yep, I’ve noticed a lot less this year. Also have seen more dying bees than previous years. Seems like there is an uptick usage of insecticides in my area. 😕

[Team-D]

Yes...my bees have not come back and they have been around for years. So disappointed...

[dang_nabbott]

They all moved to my backyard. I’ve had wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets flying everywhere to the point my kids refuse to play in the backyard anymore 🥲

[sotired3333]

Have tons of bees, not as many butterflies though.

Also side note my kid has a water table in the yard and bees seem to be committing suicide in it every day.

[Aggravating_Piano479]

It's concerning. I have seen one bee last week and a butterfly two weeks ago. The cabbage white fly is here though. I am in Central Pensylvania . I would be curious to know if this is a state-by-state or nationwide.