Why Pollination Matters

The Role of Pollinators

Approximately one-third of the food we eat depends on pollination by insects, primarily bees. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds all require or benefit from pollination. Without pollinators, crops like apples, cherries, blueberries, almonds, squash, and cucumbers would produce little to no fruit.

Honeybees are the most economically important pollinators because of their large colony sizes, their ability to be managed and moved, and their tendency to work a single flower species at a time (called flower fidelity), which makes them especially efficient pollinators.

How Pollination Works

When a bee visits a flower to collect nectar and pollen, pollen grains stick to her body. As she moves to the next flower, some of that pollen rubs off onto the flower's stigma, fertilizing it. This triggers fruit and seed development. A single honeybee can visit 50-1,000 flowers in one foraging trip, and a strong colony may make millions of flower visits per day.

Pollination on the Palouse

While the Palouse is known for dryland crops like wheat and lentils (which are largely wind-pollinated or self-pollinating), pollinators still play a vital role in the region. Home gardens, orchards, berry patches, and seed crops all benefit from honeybee pollination. Canola, which is increasingly grown on the Palouse, is a major bee-pollinated crop that also produces excellent honey.

Ericksen Apiaries hives contribute to pollination across Moscow and neighboring communities, supporting both agricultural production and native plant reproduction.

Threats to Pollinators

Pollinator populations face several challenges:

• Habitat loss: Development and intensive agriculture reduce the wildflower-rich areas pollinators depend on
• Pesticides: Neonicotinoids and other insecticides can be lethal to bees or impair their navigation and foraging
• Parasites and disease: Varroa mites, nosema, and various viruses threaten managed and wild bee populations
• Climate change: Shifts in bloom timing can create mismatches between when flowers bloom and when pollinators are active

How You Can Help

Everyone can support pollinators:

• Plant bee-friendly flowers -- lavender, sunflowers, borage, clover, and native wildflowers
• Avoid pesticides when possible, especially during bloom
• Provide water sources in your garden
• Leave some areas of your yard unmowed for ground-nesting bees
• Support local beekeepers by buying local honey