It's an exasperating experience. You go to the nursery, pick out a flowering plant, shrub, or tree and bring it home only to have some critter damage or destroy it within the first week. Pests cause damage and waste time and money. The most common pests in the home landscape and garden are voles, moles, and gophers. By knowing what you're dealing with, it will be easier to eradicate the problem.
Voles. Also referred to as field or meadow mice, voles are small rodents three to nine inches in size (depending upon the species). They look a lot like hamsters, which are their close relatives. Damage done by voles is often mistaken for that of gophers. Voles are herbivores; they can gnaw on the bark of trees and shrubs, or simply eat the roots. They will also eat the tops of new vegetable transplants, leaving behind damage similar to deer nibbling. If you look closely, you'll see the vole's teeth marks on the stalk of the plant.
Voles are active both day and night and do not hibernate. They are shy creatures and build complex tunnels under dense ground cover such as lawns, grasses, and meadows. They live in colonies, spending most of their lives underground. Voles have an extremely short life cycle, living just three to six months, but females can become pregnant at three weeks old. The gestation period for female voles is sixteen to twenty-four days. A typical litter is five to eight baby voles. Young voles become self-sufficient after several days, at which time the mother vole moves on to find another partner to mate with. Because of their rapid reproductive rate, one mating vole pair can be responsible for producing one hundred voles (offspring, offspring of offspring, you get the picture) in a year. Even a single pair of voles can rapidly become a vole kingdom.
If you don't take measures to control voles when you first notice evidence of their presence, they can quickly create a problem that spirals out of control. Signs of vole infestation include holes with a surface diameter of around one and a half inches close to their surface runways (raised ground on top of their tunnels). Damage to the roots of trees, yellowed and wilting plants, missing bulbs, teeth marks around the bottom of trees and shrubs, and irregular paths of one to two inches of trampled grass or soil are also signs of vole infestation.
Modifying the habitat can be effective in controlling vole populations. Keeping the yard cleared of dense vegetation, any lawn mown, and shrub branches trimmed up off the ground can deter voles. Circling tree trunks with guard mesh is also helpful. Voles often thrive underneath weed cloth put down to prevent weeds from growing around ornamentals, and beneath mulch used to keep plant roots cool in the summer. Removing both is a deterrent tactic. It is also helpful to remove bird feeders, or control birdseed spillage. Keeping birdseed off the ground reduces food for voles.
Exclusion, repellants, and traps are more effective means of controlling voles. Hardware cloth (with one-quarter inch or smaller mesh) can be a useful barrier. The cloth can be fashioned into a fence at least twelve inches high and buried three inches in the ground to surround flower beds. Baskets can be made or purchased to protect trees and shrubs. Because coyote and fox urines are stressful to voles, application encourages them to move on. Coyote urine and fox urine can be purchased online. Repellants containing capsaicin (and active component of chili peppers) and thiram (a fungicide) have also proved to be effective on ornamental plants, but remember that repellants often wash away with rain and need to be reapplied. Although bait is not required, peanut butter mixed with oatmeal can be smeared on trap triggers when using mouse traps to eradicate voles. Two to three traps need to be set by each hole or runway. Baited traps need to be covered with a box or PVC pipe to deter other critters such as birds and squirrels. Make sure the box has a one-inch hole cut out in order to allow the vole to reach the trap.
Moles. While there is only a one-letter difference between moles and voles, that's where the similarities stop. Moles are five to seven inches long and have long, fleshy noses which serve as touch organs. The feet, nose, and tail of a mole are pink. Moles have no external ears. Their eyes are buried in their fur, and their broad front feet are equipped with super-sharp claws for digging. Moles are mammals, not rodents, eating worms, ants, and grubs (certain beetle larvae). Many people attempt to control moles by eliminating their food source, but this has proved to be a difficult strategy because of a mole's varied diet. Eliminating grubs in a lawn will only lead moles to turn to earthworms in garden beds. But earthworms are good for our soil and leave behind beneficial castings.
Moles live entirely underground and can tunnel one foot per minute, creating extensive tunnels and volcanic-shaped mounds when breaking ground. A mole's damage to a lawn or plant is accidental since they, unlike voles, don't eat plants. Most of the time, a mole causes little damage other than an unsightly raised bed or a tunnel in the lawn. In a way, they're actually helpful critters as they aerate the soil. Moles produce one litter per year in the spring, and in four to eight weeks young moles reach adult size. They're active year-round but male moles are especially active in February and March when looking for a female, and females are most active in May and June when they are feeding their young.
Since modifying the environment means ridding the soil of beneficial insects and worms, the only effective way to completely eliminate moles is by trapping. Traps are readily available in hardware and big box stores. If you don't mind moles, but don't want them in specific areas of your garden, repellants may work. Castor oil is a common mole repellant, but its efficacy is disputed. Sonic repellants, both solar and battery operated, emit vibrations that may scare away moles. The frequency isn't audible to humans and isn't harmful to children, pets, and other wildlife.
Gophers. Like voles, pocket gophers are rodents and herbivores. They prefer the fleshy underside of plants and roots. Called pocket gophers because of their furry cheek pouches that carry food and nesting materials, these critters are larger than either moles or voles, ranging from six to ten inches long. Gophers have long, yellow-orange front teeth, small eyes and ears, and short tails.
Five gopher species live in California. The most common is Botta's pocket gopher, T. bottae. These pests create an extensive underground burrowing system. Feeding tunnels are usually six to twelve inches below the surface. Nesting and food storage tunnels can be as deep as six feet below the surface. Gopher mounds are crescent-, horseshoe-, or fan-shaped, with a hole that is off to the side and usually plugged. One gopher can create several mounds in a day. Sometimes a gopher can be seen pushing dirt from a mound or feeding at the edge of a mound. They don't hibernate, tunneling through soil all year long, day and night.
Gophers can wreak havoc on a row of plants by pulling entire plants down into their tunnels. They use their sense of smell to locate a source of food, preferring herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees. Gophers will also gnaw on drip irrigation tubes and hoses.
As with moles, trapping is the most effective way to eradicate the problem of gopher infestation. Make sure children and pets stay away from the traps, because the traps can cause injury. Employing gopher baskets and mesh barriers is an effective alternative. While some roots will escape the barrier, the main roots near the base of a plant will be protected. Sonic repellants my also deter these rodents.
Voles, moles, and gophers can cause havoc in the garden but they can be managed using various methods to control, deter, or eradicate. Consider your natural environment, whether children and pets can be harmed by deterrents, the expense of the deterrent method, and your commitment to the program of eradication when choosing a plan to deal with these pests.
For further information, see:
Baldwin, Roger A, UC IPM's Pest Note on Pocket Gophers.
“Controlling Vole Damage,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Publications
Pokomy, Kim, “Moles, Voles and Gophers Dig in the Garden,” Oregon State University Cooperative Extension.
Yordan Z, Vole Lifespan and Life Cycle, Insect Cop, May 13, 2020.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
What does a careful analysis of our Mediterranean climate, historic climate patterns, and water supply reveal about our future here in Butte County? Specifically, what does the historical climate record tell us about for precipitation and temperature? How have groundwater levels changed over time? What do these trends and changes portend for our future?
California: A Floristic Hotspot in a Mediterranean Climate
A “Hotspot” is a region that is rich in biodiversity and also threatened with destruction. To be termed a Hotspot, a region must have at least 1,500 species of vascular plants that are endemic (not found in any other location) and must have experienced a loss of at least 70% of its original natural vegetation. In addition, Hotspots support half of all plant and animal species, and more than half of endemic species, on Earth. The California Floristic Province stretches from southwest Oregon to northern Baja, and from the coast to the Sierra Nevada.
Of the five global Mediterranean regions, California has the greatest biological diversity, due to a unique combination of topography, climate, geology, and soils.
Atmospheric Rivers
Extreme variability in rainfall is the norm for California's climate patterns. Most important is timing: when rain falls (or is absent) throughout the year. A few storms can make all the difference. We receive the majority of our rain (up to 75%) in just five months, and 50% of that in just three months. Atmospheric rivers provide a full 40% of our annual rainfall, and when high pressure ridges (such as the one aptly named the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge) keep these weather events from releasing their load of water onto our thirsty state, we experience one of California's historically common cyclical droughts, as has happened over the last few decades. Recently, droughts have been more frequent and more severe.
Water Supply, Temperatures, and Groundwater
One-third of our annual supply of water for agriculture and urban use comes from the Sierra Nevada snowpack. Frozen water melts gradually as the weather warms, filling rivers and lakes, and replenishing groundwater supplies. This is nature's way of helping us get through our dry, hot summers. We will likely continue to experience a decrease in annual snowpack due to climate change and the associated uptick in average temperatures.
According to NASA, the last decade has been the hottest on record with 2020 tying 2016 for the hottest year ever. In fact, in June 2021 over a thousand daily temperature records were broken, making it the hottest June recorded in North America. Low nighttime temperatures are warming faster than daily maximum temperatures. More nighttime temperature records were broken than daytime highs this June (NOAA,Global Historical Climatological Network). The rise in low temperatures during dormancy has implications for fruit trees that need a certain number of chill hours to produce fruit. Tip: When buying new fruit trees, select varieties that require a low number of chill hours.
As temperatures rise and the snowpack decreases, mountain soils dry out faster. These dry soils absorb more of the snowpack runoff that historically has filled our reservoirs. This spring, runoff was greatly reduced as the dry soils and vegetation soaked up any runoff before recharging our reservoirs.
Groundwater is a crucial resource. The combination of low precipitation and high temperatures is especially damaging to our groundwater supplies. This underground storage system took tens of thousands of years to accumulate. In California, groundwater normally supplies 40% of our water needs. In dry years, groundwater accounts for 50% to 75% of our water use. The Chico urban area is 100% dependent on groundwater, and dry years here result in an even greater reliance on our groundwater aquifer.
Lack of rain and low snowpack means aquifers have less recharge since reservoirs do not fill, rivers have reduced flow, and surface water users have a reduced supply. When rainfall is scanty and snowpack is low, we naturally pump more groundwater for our daily needs. When drought cycles last for several years, groundwater supplies are diminished beyond the normal annual rainfall's replenishment capability. Several wet years are needed to see improvement in groundwater levels.
In a 15-year program that ended in 2017, NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites showed that between 2003 and 2013, some aquifers in California were depleted by up to 50% - a direct result of pumping groundwater. In some areas, particularly in the San Joaquin valley, we've consumed twice as much groundwater as has been replenished through rain and snow. In the Central Valley, applications for well drilling permits have skyrocketed, and wells have been deepened. Five wells in Kern County were recently drilled down to 2,500 feet! Practically speaking, well depth is limited by water quality and economics of pumping. At levels below 1,000 feet in the Sacramento Valley, groundwater becomes saline, a result of ancient marine sediments.
To better understand the structure of our local aquifer system, Butte County Water & Resource Conservation formed a partnership with Stanford University and CSU Chico to conduct an Airborne Electromagnetic Method (AEM) survey in 2018. Using a helicopter, the survey took an “MRI” of the ground to map the layers of sand, gravel, silt, and clay down to 1,500 feet. For an awesome video representation of the findings go to: https://mapwater.stanford.edu/. The California Department of Water Resources has an excellent two minute video explaining how AEM leads to a better understanding of our aquifer structures and soil layers.
By measuring the electrical resistivity, the composition of soil layers can be determined, leading to a better understanding of our aquifers and groundwater system. Local well data was used to aid in interpreting these findings. The information is being used to improve the hydrogeologic model for development and management of the Groundwater Sustainability Plans required by California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). We are very fortunate that Butte County is ahead of the game in implementing SGMA.
Subsidence
Studies completed by the US Geological Survey showed that the water table dropped 100 feet in the Modesto area and 500 feet in the Tulare basin in recent drought years. In some areas of the Sacramento Valley, groundwater levels have dropped up to 13 feet.
In basic terms, the ground deep beneath our feet is filled with sediment, layers of clay, sand, and gravel from ancient lakes and streams. These layers hold water. In some areas, a layer of clay separates the shallow groundwater storage pockets from deeper aquifers. Over-pumping deeper formations can compress clay layers, due to the weight of the overlaying land, and they can permanently lose some of their ability to hold water. This has been particularly problematic on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Fortunately, deep monitoring wells in Butte County have shown no evidence of subsidence due to the geological structure of the Tuscan aquifer.
In economic terms, the damage to infrastructure can amount to hundreds of millions of dollars: subsidence damages canals that transfer water; buckles roads and bridges; causes pipeline damage; and can create fissures and depressions in the land itself.
How Did We Get Here?
Why do we plant thirsty plants and large, lush lawns, in a dry climate that is regularly threatened by drought, and irrigate them with a limited resource?
California has over 5,200 species of native plants, of which almost 30% are endemic, having evolved strategies to survive and thrive with sporadic rainfall, and through long dry summers. From wildflowers and shrubs (like poppies, Ceanothus, and manzanita), to our majestic oak woodlands, the Central Valley, foothills, and mountains of California are populated with a rich tapestry of sun-loving, drought resistant plants. But people moving west, particularly in the last century, longed for landscapes that reminded them of home, a look very different from the plants that covered the valleys and hills of California.
In the 1840's pioneers from the Eastern US began settling in California. The Gold Rush from 1849 through the 1850s and completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 led to a great influx of people from different climates. Settlers from the East arrived with their favorite agricultural seeds and plants tucked into their luggage. Fortunes gained from mining, agriculture, and timber harvesting allowed the development of ornamental landscapes using familiar, yet foreign, exotic plants. The Eastern landscape style brought to California by emigrants originated primarily from northern Europe and the eastern U.S. – where it not only rains a lot, but rains throughout the year.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Currently common irrigation practices and landscape designs are not sustainable. We've only gotten by with our present level of water use through our groundwater supply. Once that's evaluated and potentially limited by SGMA, changes will be required. The water resources needed to maintain our landscaping must become balanced and sustainable.
Historically, no one really knew the state of our groundwater supply. With the scientific tools we have now, we have a better grasp of our conditions. Satellite images, tree ring analyses, and AEM technology all give us a much better sense of climate trends, and how they all interact. Because of the latest technology, we can gain a good understanding of the conditions underground. The cool digital visuals allow us to understand in stark terms what's going on with groundwater. We can talk all we want about it, but it really hits home when we look at the graphs.
The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County offer many resources to encourage the shift from water hogging to more appropriate landscape choices. Our website, past and current Real Dirt articles, and Demonstration Garden all provide information and examples for making these changes in your own yard. Particularly helpful resources on our website include a list of Climate Appropriate Plants for the Northern California Landscape and a wealth of tips for Drought and Water-Wise Gardening.
In previous drought years we saw the start of a move to a more sustainable model: converting lawns to drought-tolerant landscaping; turning towards native plants; and minimizing water usage. This is encouraging. Social change moves slowly, but it's beginning. By understanding our climate, hopefully we can learn to garden within our means.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
On Thursday, July 8, Governor Gavin Newsom asked California residents to cut back their water usage by 15%. Butte County is among the 50 California counties (out of a total of 58 counties) now included in Newsom's declaration of drought emergency. But how do you know just how much water you are using? Buried in the ground outside your home lies the answer: your water meter.
The water meter is an important tool in helping us conserve water. These are embedded in the ground and covered with a concrete plate. Most are located in the front yard of a residential property near the property line and close to the street.
To check your water usage, first locate your meter. Bring a screwdriver, a flashlight, and pen and paper with you. Use the screwdriver (or similar lever-type tool) to wedge into the slot on the “lid” over the meter, and lift it off; then shine the flashlight inside to make sure no black widows or other dangerous creatures are lurking in there. You will probably have to brush some debris off the face of the meter. When you do, you will be looking at a large circular dial, a smaller blue dial, and, below them both, a series of numbers. Write those numbers down. This is the base you will begin with. Once you have those numbers, you can start to calculate your daily water consumption.
There are several ways to use this information to become a more informed water user and to reduce overall water consumption.
- If you note down the water gauge number late on a night when you are not irrigating, then check the gauge again in the morning, you should be able to tell if you have a water leak somewhere on your property. If the gauge tells you that water has been used when you have not, to your knowledge, used any water, somehow water is leaking out.
- Test how much water you actually use when hand watering with a hose. It certainly seems like hand watering uses much less water than sprinklers – but does it really? Check the number on your water meter, then, using a stop watch, see how much water you actually use in one minute with the hose on full force. Or see how many seconds it takes to fill up a five-gallon bucket or watering can.
- Check that water meter number, then take your usual shower, and check that number afterwards. Subtract the smaller number from the larger one and multiply that decimal number times 748. Your answer will be the number of gallons used.
- If you have an automatic watering system, record your pre- and post-irrigation meter readings, then use the procedure above to calculate gallons of water used each time your irrigation system runs.
By looking at the paper copy of their water bill, or logging into their account online, Cal Water customers can view graphs of their monthly water usage, comparing 2021 with 2020 (by clicking “usage graphs” at the bottom of the Cal Water home page, 2019, 2020 and 2021 can be compared).
Cal Water includes many water conservation tips on its website, many of which will be familiar to regular readers of The Real Dirt. For example:
- plant native, low-water, and drought-resistant plants
- limit lawn area
- plant in “zones” that group plants according to their water needs
- keep shade plants in the shade so they do not require additional water
- place water-loving plants at the bottom of slopes to maximize water-runoff
- mulch generously around plants and shrubs to limit weeds and maximize water retention
- check sprinkler system for broken sprinkler heads and hidden leaks
Cal Water also lists prohibited uses of water, which include the following:
- Using water on outdoor landscaping that causes runoff onto adjacent properties or paved areas
- Using water during or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall
- Using a hose to wash vehicles unless the hose has a shutoff nozzle or similar device
- Using water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, except where part of a recirculating system
Importantly, single-family residential customers can order indoor plumbing kits to aid in conserving water in their homes. These free kits include high-efficiency showerheads, faucet aerators, and other tools for cutting down indoor water usage. To order a kit, or for more information on conserving water, go to the Cal Water website.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
Are caterpillars chewing on your cabbage? Aphids browsing your Brussels sprouts? Cucumber beetles snacking on your squash? Keeping insect pests from attacking your garden veggies can be a problem, but help is on the way: Just invite your neighborhood beneficials to the banquet in your garden.
You don't need to order beneficials from a garden catalog; most are already present in your garden. Your job is to give them the food, water, and shelter they need to thrive, and they will reward you by patrolling your garden.
- Avoid the use of pesticides. Pesticides tend to be indiscriminate, killing beneficial insects as well as insect pests. If chemical control is necessary, use the least disruptive materials, such as soaps, oils, microbials, or botanicals.
- Create a garden that celebrates diversity. Include both annual and perennial ground covers, shrubs, trees, turfgrass, and some permanent arrangements, such as stone paths and decorative rock accents, which will provide shelter for insect predators. Clumps of native grasses make good overwintering sites for a variety of predatory insects.
- Plant lots of different kinds of flowers. Flowers provide pollen and nectar that beneficials need and that will sustain them when pest populations are low. Flat-topped flowers, such as dill, parsley, cilantro, and Queen Anne's lace, are especially attractive to tiny parasitic wasps – some of the most effective beneficial insects in the garden.
- Provide water. A shallow dish of water filled with pebbles or gravel and placed in a sheltered area will give small beneficials a safe place to slurp. Change the water regularly and avoid a puddle to prevent mosquitos which may harbor West Nile Virus from laying their eggs there and multiplying.
- Plan for a full season of bloom. Keep beneficials in your garden year-round by including varieties of flowering plants that bloom throughout the year.
- Go native. Allow some corners of your yard to grow naturally. Native beneficial insects love native vegetation.
- Tolerate a small number of pests. This will provide a continuous food supply for beneficials. Try “sacrificing” some plants in the garden, or if resorting to pesticides, make spot-treatment applications, leaving reservoirs of pests on which beneficials can survive.
- Eliminate ants. Ants interfere with the ability of predators to control aphids and scales. Applying a sticky material such as Tanglefoot to the base of affected plants will keep ants away.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
It's important to protect our bee populations because their survival and reproduction provides pollination benefits for agricultural, urban, and wildland environments. This is especially evident here when we welcome commercial bees to pollinate almond orchards each spring. These almond blossoms are only the beginning of the rich agricultural smorgasbord relying on pollination from bees. Our bubble of bee knowledge is largely limited to social bees that live in colonies and are used commercially in orchards, fields, and green houses. The most well-known in the American landscape, the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.), was first introduced by European settlers along the Eastern seaboard in the early 17th century. Documentary evidence tells us it took over 200 years for the European honeybee to make its way to California.
While there are over 4,000 species of bees found in North America, California is home to 1,600 native species. These natives were here prior to the arrival of European honeybees. European honeybees may have been introduced to California in 1853 from swarms purchased in Panama, carried across the Isthmus, and shipped to San Francisco. Apparently only one swarm made the arduous trip and was delivered to F. G. Appleton, a San Jose apiarist. Until this time, diverse native bee communities were the primary pollinators, filling a wide range of ecological roles throughout our state.
Native bees are actually better adapted to meet the needs of a broad diversity of flowering plants in urban, suburban, and rural areas. While one third of our food crops rely on both native bees and commercial honeybees for pollination, home gardens mostly rely on healthy native bee populations. It's been estimated that only 25 to 40 percent of native flowering plant species are pollinated by honeybees. In order to protect ecosystem resilience and diversity, we need to protect the health of our native bees.
Most native bees are not aggressive and are not inclined to sting since unlike honeybees they are not protecting their hive. Males generally have no sting. Females may sting if swatted or stepped on, but they don't have enough venom for the sting to be painful. Native bees range in size from tiny to large and vary in color.
Some of the natives seen in my Paradise garden include the following:
- Carpenter bees (Xylocopa varipuncta) are social, forming a small colony that nests in wood. The female Valley carpenter bee is about an inch long black bee that resembles a bumble bee but is less hairy. The male, commonly known as "the teddy bear bee," is green-eyed and blond. Small carpenter bees (Ceratina) also tunnel into wood, are nearly hairless, and are metallic-looking. Some species sport yellow markings and can be mistaken for flies.
- Sweat bees (Halictidae)are attracted to salty sweat. This species of bee is metallic green, blue, or black with greenish-yellow markings.
- Bumble bees (Bombus). Feral honeybees and bumble bees constitute a large percentage of the bees I see daily. Like honeybees, bumble bees are social and live in small colonies, unlike the solitary native bees.
Native bees are unsung heroes. Some, such as the yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) are better pollinators than honeybees because of their foraging behaviors and large, hairy bodies. Agricultural crop systems, as well as urban and wildland environments, benefit from native bees. The reproduction and survival of diverse species of native bees depend on all of us. Dr. Gordon Frankie, professor and research entomologist at University of California, Berkeley, recommends the following to protect our native bee populations:
- Eliminate pesticides
- Plant a diversity of nectar and pollen rich plants (ten or more species)
- Mass each plant in patches of ten square feet
- Choose plants that bloom in succession over the growing season
- Avoid excessive pruning and manicuring of ornamental flowers
- Set aside bare patches of soil for nesting
Not only will these behaviors help protect our bee populations, but they will also attract other pollinators.
Many factors contribute to declining native bee numbers: increased use of chemicals; loss of wildflower meadows and other suitable habitats; more land being developed for commercial and residential property, landscapes incorporating more hardscape and fewer pollen-producing plants. Plus, homeowners are quick to call pest control companies to eradicate unwanted bugs rather than try to implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods. The solution to turning around the declining health of native bees is to act individually and proactively, as well as to raise awareness. Here are some steps we can take:
- Support local nurseries that sell plants and seeds that haven't been treated with neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides commonly used as seed treatments (NSTs) and systemic sprays in greenhouses.
- Buy organic vegetable seeds or packs.
- Ask if in doubt about a particular plant you're interested in purchasing. The same applies to food. Supporting local farmers markets helps promote sustainable agriculture, and may help keep harmful pesticides out of the soil and water. Many of the venders at farmers markets do not use neonicotinoids when growing their fruits, flowers, and vegetables. And they are right there at the market to talk about their farming practices.
Learning to manage your pests through IPM tactics will also help minimize adverse effects on declining bee populations. The University of California's IPM website provides scientific, location-specific pest control information for homeowners. Homes become less toxic to pets and children when their play areas are not treated with pesticides. Homeowners can share what's working in their gardens with neighbors and friends, which may help eliminate pesticides in other yards and gardens.
Providing food, shelter, and nesting areas for wildlife in the garden will also help our native bees. Pollen is protein for bees and nectar is their carbohydrate, providing energy and maintaining water balance in their diet. Plant a variety of annuals and perennials in the garden for bees to enjoy. Provide water sources. A shallow dish filled with pebbles and water will not only provide bees with a drinking station but will help other beneficial insects as well.
It is vital that our bee populations are protected. Their survival and reproduction provide pollination benefits that sustain our planet. While native bees go unnoticed, learning more about them and protecting their natural habitats will help assist these prolific pollinators and insure our own well-being.
To learn more about bees, investigate the following sources:
- The Xerces Society
- The UCANR publication, Native Bees are a Rich Resource in Urban California Gardens
- The Pollinator Partnership
- The UC Berkeley Urban Bee Lab
- Real Dirt article by Cindy Weiner, “Bumble Bees in the Garden
Information in this article has been derived from:
- California Native Plant Society, Small Wonders: The Plight and Promise of California's Native Bees by Emily Underwood, June 24, 2021Ecosphere, volume 11 issue 2 February 2020
- Ecosphere, volume 11 issue 2 February 2020, Dara A. Stanley, Simangele M. Msweli, Steven D. Johnson, Native honeybees as flower visitors and pollinators in wild plant communities in a biodiversity hotspot
- Kellar, Brenda, Honey Bees Across America
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
