Dinah Robinson
Now that we are transitioning to fall, many pollinators are already getting ready for winter.
Most native bees, butterflies, moths and wasps will soon enter a period of dormancy, much like hibernating. Some pollinators such as hummingbirds and the much-loved monarch butterfly will migrate to warmer locations down south. They’re more likely to survive if gardeners provide them with food along the way.
An extraordinary trip
Monarch butterflies travel up to 5,000 km in each direction on their annual migration. Eastern monarchs fly to forests in Mexico, where they roost on the same fir trees every year. Western monarchs fly to overwintering sanctuaries in southern California. The site in Mexico was kept secret by locals until it was located by a Canadian biologist, Dr. Fred Urquhart. Assisted by citizen scientists, he was able to track tagged monarchs along their migration route to their destination.
There can be as many as five generations of the monarch butterfly on their commute. The northbound butterflies only live for two to six weeks. They breed as they find milkweed, the host plant for the caterpillar.
Connected corridors of suitable plants for both the butterfly and the caterpillar are critical during spring migration. The monarchs travelling south have the ability to live until the following spring, up to eight or nine months in some years.
Monarchs need to cluster together to stay warm. They fly solo during the day but they find each other to form a roost to share their heat at night during migration.
An endangered species
In July, the monarch butterfly was added to the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. It believes the monarch could become extinct if its numbers continue to decline.
According to the director of the Montreal Insectarium, Maxim Larrivée, there were a billion monarchs making the trip south in the late ‘90s; today there are only 125 million, a decline of over 85 percent. Loss of habitat from development and pesticide use, as well as factors related to climate change, are the biggest contributors to the drop in numbers.
Monarchs have been listed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada since 2016. But they don’t receive any additional protection because the federal government hasn’t added them to the endangered list of the Species at Risk Act.
Ontario declared them a species of special concern in 2020 but there are no extra protections in Ontario either.
The City of Ottawa was asked to take the mayor’s monarch pledge. But council decided the city was already doing enough to protect monarchs and other pollinators.
A passion for photography and pollinators
This summer, Stephen Thirlwall provided The BUZZ with a tour of his gardens. As an accomplished photographer, he often discusses pollinators at his photo displays of colourful Centretown gardens.
Stephen’s gardens have a layer of flowers through the seasons with various colours. In early July, more than a dozen plants are blooming. “I can take a pic of the same spot in the garden every day and it will look completely different,” he explains.
Almost all the plants are perennial and the garden beds are densely packed. This helps to reduce the amount of watering. “There’s something blooming and something else dying off every day. If it’s going to survive, it will,” he says.
Ground covers help to keep the soil from drying out and taller plants provide some shade for more delicate plants and new transplants.
“I guess I just like insects, animals and plants. They are living beings and we all share a lot.”
Some sections of Stephen’s garden are very organized; others are like a wild meadow. Stephen described the garden’s flowers, fruit, vegetables and seeds as, “food for family, birds and insects.”
He developed his passion for pollinators through photography. By taking pictures of flowers, he noticed things that people don’t usually see but that are right there, “finding the (almost) invisible world.”
Protecting pollinators
A variety of plants in dense patches that have flowers throughout the seasons (similar to Stephen’s garden) will help pollinators thrive.
Connected corridors are also important for pollinator travelling efficiency. It takes a lot of energy to fly long distances and pollinators require more nectar when they finally reach a patch of flowers. Bees and butterflies and other pollinators are always looking for the next garden to visit.
What else can you do? Don’t just plant milkweed. The butterfly needs nectar sources from late spring to early fall.
Plants rich in nectar are critical prior to migration when the butterflies are fueling up for their long flight south. Joe Pye Weed, Liatris (blazing star), Goldenrod and Asters are great options.
University of Ottawa researchers are studying how different nectar sources affect the butterflies fat reserves, which enable them to fly great distances without refueling.
If everyone focuses on pollinator protection and providing food through their gardens, then nature can flourish, biodiversity will increase, and the food supply will be more secure for humans as well as the many pollinators.