Last week’s column covered the basics and importance of pollinators to our existence on this earth.

In part two this week, we will talk about how humans can affect pollinators. Get connected with nature and watch for pollinators. Look for pollinators on the landscape midday in sunny, planted areas.

Reduce your impact by minimizing pesticide use, increasing green spaces, and minimizing urbanization.

Pollution and climate change affect pollinators, too! Finally, plant for pollinators. Create pollinator-friendly habitat with native flowering plants that supply pollinators with nectar, pollen, and homes.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is promoting this practice in the various conservation programs that are available to landowners and operators.

Create a pollinator-friendly garden habitat in just a few simple steps. Design your garden so that there is a continuous succession of plants flowering from spring through fall.

Check for the species or cultivars best suited to your area and gradually replace lawn grass with flower beds.

Plant natives in your area using plants that provide nectar for adults plus food for insect larvae, such as milkweed for monarchs. If you do use nonnative plants, choose ones that don’t spread easily, since these could become invasive.

Select old-fashioned varieties of flowers whenever possible because breeding has caused some modern blooms to lose their fragrance and/or the nectar/pollen needed to attract and feed pollinators.

Install ‘houses’ for bats and native bees. For example, use wood blocks with holes or small open patches of mud. As little as 12” across is sufficient for some bees.

Avoid pesticides, even socalled “natural” ones such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). If you must use them, use the most selective and least toxic ones and apply them at night when most pollinators aren’t active.

Supply water for all wildlife. A dripping faucet or a suspended milk carton with a pinhole in the bottom is sufficient for some insects.

Other wildlife need a small container of water. Provide water for butterflies without letting it become a mosquito breeding area.

Refill containers daily or bury a shallow plant saucer to its rim in a sunny area, fill it with coarse pine bark or stones and fill to overflowing with water.

Share fun facts, such as: a tiny fly (a “midge”) no bigger than a pinhead is responsible for the world’s supply of chocolate; or one out of every three mouthfuls of food we eat is delivered to us by pollinators.

For more information on pollinators, conservation programs and assistance available, contact the NRCS office in Kingsville at 592- 0309 Ext. 3 or come by at 401 East King Avenue, Suite 100.