More Bees, Please – Creating a Pollinator Friendly Ames!

by Guest Contributor | May 14, 2025

Article guest written by Lisa Kuehl, a volunteer member of the Pollinator Friendly Ames group

DID YOU KNOW that the City of Ames is a national leader in pollinator conservation? An exciting new 10-year plan, developed in 2023, aims to support bees, butterflies, insects, and birds through education, research, and collaboration. The Pollinator-Friendly Ames Plan is a dedicated effort between the City and Prairie Rivers of Iowa, with partnerships growing between many businesses, organizations, schools, homeowners’ and neighborhood associations, and, of course, the residents of Ames.

Thanks to the hard work of the Ames Pollinator-Friendly Community Task Force, this detailed plan is now in place, providing guidance and goals for helping Ames help our pollinators. Among these goals are creating more diverse habitats in yards, parks and green spaces, monitoring the numbers and kinds of pollinators observed, reducing pesticide use and sharing with the citizens of Ames ways in which they can help and become involved.

Why is any of this important to you? Because if you like to eat, chances are you can thank a pollinator! These busy insects, primarily bees, are what allow our fruits and vegetables to become our food. Other pollinators, such as butterflies, moths, insects and birds, scatter pollen, helping to grow beautiful native plants. Native plants are also what help purify our drinking water through their long, deep root systems that filter the groundwater. And native plants host caterpillars which provide critical food sources for many species of baby birds.

So, how can you be part of this amazing effort? Caring and supporting pollinators can be as simple as reducing your use of lawn pesticides, potting one native plant on your porch or converting part of your lawn into a diverse habitat to nourish pollinators in every stage of their lives. The City of Ames has many great resources for helping you get started! You can visit the City website or the Prairie Rivers of Iowa website to learn more.

On both websites you and your family will find ways to be a “Butterfly Bestie” and start taking steps towards helping the City meet its goals. Remember, even the most simple of actions can make a very big difference for our pollinators! If you’d like to know more about volunteering your time and talents, you are welcome to join one of the Plan’s four current committees: Education, Policy, Research or Partnerships. We would love to have you on board!

Pollinator-Friendly

Ames Needs You!

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you can help. Join the Pollinator Team and contribute to protecting bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators.

Do you have pollinator habitat in your yard? Self report your habitat to help our group keep track of the pollinator friendly sites in Ames!

Pollinator habitat is an area that has any blooming flowers, whether on fruit trees, veggie gardens, or flower gardens!

Are you interested in learning more about the plan and what your group can do to help? We will present to your group/club/organization! Just click the button below to sign up.

Join The Committee

Self Report Habitat

Request a Presentation

Don’t Pull Those Weeds and Help the Bees!

by Katelyn Rinicker | Apr 18, 2025

You might think it is time to start cleaning up your yard and gardens. The sun has finally come out, and everything is starting to warm up. As little flowers start popping up all over your yard, you might be tempted to pull them, but don’t, or at least hold off for a little longer!

Did you know that there are over 40 million acres of turfgrass in the U.S., and roughly 2/3rds of that is home lawns. This contributes to the habitat loss that pollinators are facing. The least we can do is let a couple of weeds grow for a while.

Dandelions, Violets, Creeping Charlie, and Henbit are only a handful of blooming weeds that help provide critical nectar resources for pollinators! Leaving the weeds also helps reduce soil erosion and soil compaction. Once other plants and trees start flowering, and it is consistently 50°F or above, you can start getting your yards and gardens ready. This is when insects are out of diapause, something we would think of as hibernation, and there are plenty of nectar resources available.

If you don’t want to leave the weeds, but still want to help the bees, here is one alternative! You can plant native early spring blooming species! This actually helps pollinators more than just leaving the weeds because they provide more nutrients and nectar resources. Our native pollinators coevolved with these native Spring Ephemerals, meaning that they actually seek them out!

Below is a list of great species you could plant in your gardens or even in pots!

pexels-forhad-hossain-103842032-19388966

Pasque Flower Anemone patens

Sun: Full

Soil: Dry, native to Loess Hills area

Height: 6 inches

Bloom time: April, May

Plant in rock or dry prairie gardens, goes well with Prairie Smoke, Blue-eyed Grass, and June Grass

Shooting Star Dodecatheon meadia

Sun: Part Shade

Soil: Dry to Medium

Height: Up to 20 inches

Bloom Time: April, June

Grows in prairies and woodland edges, naturally found in high quality sites.

Grows well with Golden Alexanders, Wild Geranium

Prairie Smoke Geum Triflorum

Sun: Full

Soil: Dry to Medium

Height: 1 foot

Bloom Time: May, June

Plant in rock or dry gardens, goes well with Pussy Toes, Nodding Wild Onion, and Golden Alexander

Dutchman’s Breeches Dicentra cucullaria

Sun: Part Shade to Full Shade

Soil: Moist, well drained

Height: 4 – 12 inches

Bloom Time: April, May

Plant in rich soil that gets a lot of shade as this plant is a woodland species.

Virginia Bluebells Martensia virginica

Sun: Part Shade to Full Shade

Soil: Moist to Wet

Height: 1 – 2.5 feet

Bloom Time: April, June

They love sun in early Spring but need a shaded area as Summer begins. These plants transplant quite well, but not tolerant of sunny dry locations.

All in all, anything you can do to reduce pesticide use, create habitat and nectar resources, or increase nesting sites is a huge help in pollinator conservation. You don’t have to do a lot to have an impact on these small but mighty creatures.

I challenge you to take a walk around your yard, garden, or some green space. I want you to take it slow so you can notice all of the life that depends on the Earth. Look at all of the insects moving around, filling their niches. See all of the birds feeding on these insects and helping control populations. Notice the squirrels spreading the seeds of trees. Observe how the breeze moves the plants or how the plants move toward the sunlight.

It is up to YOU to help keep our environment healthy and thriving.

Resolutions to Help Pollinators

by Katelyn Rinicker | Jan 6, 2025

A new year means new resolutions! My personal resolutions are to build garden boxes out of reclaimed bricks and seed native plants in my backyard. There are many other things you can do to support pollinators this year.

Become a Wildlife Gardener

Choosing a patch (big or small) of turf grass to transform into a beautiful native garden is a great way to help native wildlife and pollinators. To help pollinators you should plant species that bloom in the Spring, Summer, and Fall to ensure there are nectar resources year-round.

Some of my favorite native plants are Purple Prairie Clover, Golden Alexander, and Bee Balm!

Create Nesting Sites

You can create natural nesting sites by leaving logs on the ground to break down or leaving your cut plant stems in the fall. Brush piles can also provide a great nesting area. Bee hotels can also create needed nesting sites for our pollinators although they require careful maintenance to keep disease and mite numbers low.

Leafcutter_bee_Stem_nest_Jean and Fred Hort

70% of our native bees are ground-nesting. Help them out by creating access to patches of bare soil and avoiding tilling while they nest. Another way to help ground-nesting bees is to consider mulching with compost instead of wood bark mulch – it has many of the same benefits such as weed suppression, and water retention, yet allows for nesting and improves your soil!

Some pollinators only lay their eggs on specific host plants. For example, the Monarch butterfly’s host plant is Milkweed.

Another is the Regal Fritillary with their host plant, Violets.

Planting specific host plants for pollinators is another great way to create habitat!

Regal Fritillary -g00gle free use.jpgprrcd.org

Reducing Pesticide Use

Reducing pesticide use has a HUGE impact on local wildlife health! Whether it is insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, or fungicides, they hurt and can kill beneficial insects like pollinators. They are designed to kill, and they do that well. Pesticides can also become dangerous runoff when it rains and wash away into rivers or waterways.

According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, American homeowners use up to ten times more chemical pesticides per acre on their lawns than farmers use on crops. You will need less pesticide if you create better soil health by composting, aerate the soil so insects have an easier time incorporating organic matter, and use Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

There are plenty of alternatives to using pesticides in your garden.

Here are some options:

Use your hands the old-fashioned way! I love getting my hands dirty when I garden. It makes me feel connected to nature.
Add barriers like fencing or mesh to keep pests off of your plants.

Be mindful by only using pesticides when absolutely necessary. These are times like battling invasive species or infestations. Use targeted chemicals for specific issues and avoid broad-spectrum or systemic pesticides that harm everything they come in contact with.

Create a Water Source

Pollinators need water too! Bees use water to help regulate the temperature of their hive and feed their young. Bees can’t swim so it is important that any water source you create is shallow and has some sort of hard surface scattered in it. You can make your own pollinator watering station easily.

You can use a bird bath if only add a little water and add rocks.

You can also use a hummingbird feeder filled with regular tap or rain water! No need to add anything. The bees will gather on the fake flowers and drink to their heart’s content. Hummingbirds will also still visit for a quick drink.

If you have rocks or glass marbles you can fill any container with them and a little water. This gives pollinators plenty of places to stand and drink from.

If you want a self-filling watering hole, you can even use a gravity-fed pet feeder. Just add rocks to the bottom bowl to prevent drowning.

Say No to Neonics: What They Are and Why We Should Care

by Katelyn Rinicker | Aug 5, 2024

Neonicotinoid pesticides are detrimental to not only monarch health, but all pollinator health. If you have never heard of Neonicotinoids, or Neonics for short, and aren’t sure why you should care, I urge you to keep reading.

What are Neonicotinoids?

Neonics are a type of pesticide that attacks insects on a neurological level. This means “the way they work is by permanently binding to the nerve cells of insects, overstimulating and destroying them. Exposed insects often exhibit uncontrollable shaking and twitching followed by paralysis before eventually dying” (Lindwall, 2022). These pesticides are used in a variety of ways including on agricultural land, golf courses, lawns, gardens, and even in tick and flea repellents for our pets, making Neonics the most used pesticide in the USA since its development in the 1990s (Lindwall, 2022). I know how they affect insects and I’m not sure I’d want my little furballs anywhere near it.

Why should we care?

Neonics are applied to soil around a plant’s roots or, even worse, as a coating on a plant seed (Lindwall, 2022). If it is applied as a coating to a seed, the plant absorbs it as it grows. This means that the whole plant is now toxic to any insect that tries to have lunch (Lindwall, 2022). The sweet nectar, pollen, leaves, stems, and even fruit are not safe for insects to pollinate or munch on. “In large-scale studies in the UK, agricultural applications of seed-coated neonicotinoids were found to be associated with decreased abundances of bees and butterflies” (Van Deynze et al., 2024). Even when neonics are applied at nonlethal doses, they can weaken critical functions, such as an insect’s immune system, navigation, stamina, memory, and fertility (Lindwall, 2022). So if the chemical doesn’t outright kill the insect, it prevents it from reproducing and significantly decreases its quality of life.

Neonics are also extremely harmful to pollinators. They are non-selective, which means that all insects are affected by them. “Since their introduction, neonics have made U.S. agriculture nearly 50 times more harmful to insect life” (Lindwall, 2022). “Almost 45% of the 3374 articles on neonicotinoids published to date … addressed the issue of negative interactions of neonicotinoids with bees and other pollinators” (Jactel et al., 2019). There are so many articles on the internet that address neonics and call for a change in pesticide use. During a 17 year study on butterflies and neonics, it was found that the diversity of butterflies and abundance were negatively affected and declined (Van Deynze et al., 2024). It is thought that these pesticides may have triggered the decline of butterflies in 2003, when treated soybeans became available in the Midwest (Van Deynze et al., 2024). Butterflies aren’t the only pollinator affected by this nasty pesticide. Beekeepers have reported that more than 45% of their honeybee colonies have been lost between 2020 and 2021; this is the second highest colony collapse rate on record (Lindwall, 2022). That’s not all, Iowa is the home of over 4,000 native bee species including the already endangered Rusty Patched bumblebee. This means that all pollinators are at risk due to these chemicals.

This graph from Van Deynze et al. shows the correlations between pesticide use and the decline in monarch butterfly (D. plexippus) populations throughout the years.

So maybe you don’t care about some bugs. Well, it’s affecting people too. When applied to the soil around a plant, only about 2% – 5% actually get on the target plant, with the rest becoming residue on the soil outside of the plant’s root system’s reach. This residual pesticide then gets washed away by irrigation or rain into our waterways. These are areas we let our children swim and play in. These are areas we are fishing in. These are areas we live by and see daily. A 2015 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found neonic pollution in more than half of the streams it sampled nationwide (Lindwall, 2022).

EasternTigerSwallowtailPapilioGlaucus_FB

Don’t worry, we can still do something to help!

In 96% of cases, neonics can be replaced by alternative pest control and even better, in 78% of cases, at least one non-chemical alternative method can be used (Jactel et al., 2019). You can buy organic seeds to plant or check that the seeds you are using haven’t been coated in this liquid death for our insect friends. Planting more safe gardens with plenty of blooming plants is a great way to support pollinators. Growing milkweed is not only essential to monarch survival, but will attract bees and other insects as well. Even if you are in an apartment, you can help out! Growing some beautiful native plants like Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta) or Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) in a container garden on your balcony or patio are great options if you don’t have lawn space. Making sure that you have blooming plants in Spring, Summer, and Fall is essential to pollinators survival.

Citations

Jactel H, Verheggen F, Thiéry D, Escobar-Gutiérrez AJ, Gachet E, Desneux N,  (2019, August). Alternatives to neonicotinoids. Science Direct. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019302351?via%3Dihub

Lindwall, C. (2022, May). Neonicotinoids 101: The effects on humans and bees. NRCD. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/neonicotinoids-101-effects-humans-and-bees

Van Deynze B, Swinton SM, Hennessy DA, Haddad NM, Ries L (2024, June) Insecticides, more than herbicides, land use, and climate, are associated with declines in butterfly species richness and abundance in the American Midwest. PLoS ONE 19(6): e0304319. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304319

Trees for the Bees: How to Support Wildlife this Arbor Day!

by Jessica Butters | Mar 31, 2023

A native bee visiting a redbud tree.

These warmer days make it hard to sit still; we all want to get a jump on our yard and garden plans! Maybe you’re thinking of adding some small pockets of pollinator habitat. Or perhaps you’ve finally decided to add a tree or two for shade. While there’s a dizzying number of guides for “pollinator flowers”, there’s less advice on how homeowners can utilize trees and shrubs to support wildlife.

Planting a tree can be an investment not only of money but of time as well. When thinking about the long-term goals for your property, it’s important to think about the legacy you want to leave behind, as the tree may outlive you. Planting the right trees can not only increase your property’s appeal; it can also provide habitat for songbirds and pollinators for decades to come! So which trees are attractive to pollinators, are native to Iowa, and look great in our yards? We’ve put together a list to answer some of these questions, just in time for Arbor Day, which falls on April 28 this year!

But first: why trees?

Native trees and shrubs provide excellent wildlife habitat in several ways. Many provide an early flower source for pollinators such as bees and butterflies, and they are also great habitat for birds! Trees provide nesting and hiding areas for birds, and can attract insects that birds need to feed their chicks (more on that later). Planting native trees will especially invite butterflies and moths to visit your yard and lay their eggs, which hatch into caterpillars. These caterpillars then snack on tree and shrub leaves (they won’t do any real damage) until they spin their chrysalises or get plucked by a bird. Caterpillars and other insects are fundamental to the food web: they are the juicy, protein-filled link between plants and larger animals. If you want to see beautiful butterflies and songbirds, you should plant native trees that support native insects!

A blue jay with an acorn.

Native trees are central to an exciting, diverse yard!

The nonnative ginko tree (the one with fan-shaped leaves) supports about 4 species of caterpillars. In contrast, native oak trees alone can support 534 species of caterpillars (according to Dr. Doug Tallamy*). Consider the fact that black-capped chickadees need at least 300 caterpillars a day to feed their chicks – that’s about 5,000 caterpillars needed in a few weeks while the chicks grow! And this is just one example. Imagine if you had three chickadee families in your yard, or five other species of birds visiting your feeders. Suddenly, native trees just seem practical, and planting nonnative trees, such as a ginko, seems, as Tallamy put it, “equivalent to erecting a statue” in terms of its usefulness.

A young chickadee and parent.

Unhelpful trees:

Let’s address the elephant in the room: some trees and shrubs commonly planted in yards are pretty damaging; they easily spread from our yards and choke out native plants that wildlife depend upon, and cost cities and counties thousands of dollars to remove from natural areas and building foundations (some of these trees’ roots can actually compromise the integrity of buildings). Some trees and shrubs to stay away from include: Bradford or Callery pear trees (Pyrus calleryana; also their flowers smell bad), Norway maples (Acer platanoides), buckthorn (Frangula species), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), and Amur and Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii and L. morrowii, respectfully).

Lastly, do your best to avoid planting cultivars and hybrids that promise better color, bigger flowers, etc. Most native trees (especially maples) produce spectacular fall color anyway, and the hybrids you see in the nurseries will likely be sterile, and won’t produce flowers that attract pollinators or birds (if they produce any at all). It is also important to note that nonnative shrubs, trees, and hybrids may tout that they produce berries, and therefore support wildlife. Birds in particular may feed on berries only certain times of the year, and that time may not coincide with berry production on hybrid plants. Additionally, these nonnative plants will not come close to supporting the number of caterpillars needed to keep birds nesting in or near your yard.

Bradford pear tree with smelly flowers.

Multiflora rose choking out trees.

Now for the main event: the best shrubs and trees to plant!

How the lists are set up: Shrubs, small trees, and larger trees that are native to Iowa and beneficial to pollinators are listed below in order of bloom time. Each table describes a specific genus or species of tree, which is pictured to the right of the table (or below in mobile format).

Shrubs and small trees are listed first, and larger trees are listed afterwards. A small picture of the blooms produced by a shrub or tree may be displayed in the corner of the picture of the mature plant. These are not exhaustive lists; they are meant to get you started!

{ See end of article for a list of places to purchase native shrubs and trees! }

Shrubs

The following native plant species are shrubs and small trees reaching a maximum height of 30 feet. These trees are perfect for small yards, or large yards that want to add visual interest and diversity by planting trees of varying heights. Some of these shrubs also make great hedges or borders near property lines! Be sure to look up how some of these shrubs spread to make sure their maintenance needs meet your expecations.

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Pussy Willow	Early to Mid-Spring	Full Sun, Wet – Moist
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Salix discolor	2 Weeks	Pollinators, Birds
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
6 – 20 ft	Small, fluffy white catkins	Dull green – yellow

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Serviceberry (Juneberry)	Mid-Spring	Part – Full Sun, Moist – Dry
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Amelanchier arborea	1 – 2 Weeks	Pollinators, Birds, and more
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
6 – 20 ft	White, 1-inch flowers	Red-orange

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Eastern Redbud	Mid-Spring	Part – Full Sun, Moist – Dry
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Cercis canadensis	4 Weeks	Pollinators
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
15 – 25 ft	Showy pink flowers	Yellow

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
American Plum	Mid- to late Spring	Part – Full Sun, Medium
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Prunus americana	2 Weeks	Pollinators, Mammals
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
10 – 15 ft	Showy white flowers	Red to Yellow

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Prairie Crab Apple	Late Spring	Part – Full Sun, Moist – Medium
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Malus ioensis	1 – 2 Weeks	Pollinators, Birds, and more
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
10 – 25 ft	Showy white-pink flowers	Brown-orangeish

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Gray Dogwood	Late Spring to Mid-Summer	Part – Full Sun, Moist – Medium
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Cornus racemosa	3 Weeks	Pollinators, Birds, and more
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
8 – 15 ft	Showy white flowers	Red-purple

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
American Elderberry	Late Spring to Mid-Summer	Part – Full Sun, Moist
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Sambucus nigra canadensis, or Sambucus canadensis	3 – 4 Weeks	Pollinators, Birds
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
4 – 12 ft	Showy white flowers	Brown-reddish to Yellow

Trees

The following species are taller native trees ranging from 40 to 120 feet tall. These trees will provide high-quality habitat in larger yards, and are sure to attract and support wildlife, especially if mutlitple species are planted. Be sure to check if these trees create any fruits or seed pods so you can determine which trees best match your expectations.

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Maples (Sugar, Black, and others)	Early to Late Spring	Part – Full Sun, Medium
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Acer species	1 – 2 Weeks	Pollinators, Birds, and more
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
60 – 100 ft	Small yellow-green flowers	Striking colors, varies by species

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Black Cherry	Late Spring to Early Summer	Part – Full Sun, Moist – Dry
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Prunus serotina	2 – 3 Weeks	Pollinators, Birds, and more
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
50 – 80 ft	Showy white flowers	Yellow to reddish

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Kentucky Coffeetree	Late Spring to Early Summer	Part – Full Sun, Moist – Medium
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Gymnocladus dioicus	2 – 3 Weeks	Pollinators, Birds
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
60 – 90 ft	Small white flowers	Yellow

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Basswood (Linden)	Early Summer	Part – Full Sun, Medium
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Tilia americana	2 Weeks	Pollinators
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
50 – 100 ft	Small white flowers	Dull green – yellow

Common Name	Bloom Period	Sun and Soil Needs
Oaks (Red, White, and others)	Varies	Varies
Species Name	Bloom Length	Wildlife Supported
Quercus species	Varies	Invaluable to countless wildlife
Max Height	Bloom Description	Fall Color
40 – 80 ft	Varies	Dull to striking colors

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

* = According to research by Dr. Doug Tallamy, author and faculty member at the University of Delaware.\

This article used a number of resources, including:

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Missouri Botanical Garden Michigan State University

University of Minnesota Extension USDA NRCS PLANTS Database

Some great native shrub and tree nurseries:

The State Forest Nursery: Ames, Iowa. 1-800-865-2477 or 515-233-1161

Iowa Native Trees and Shrubs: Woodward, Iowa. 515-664-8633

Blooming Prairie Nursery: Carlisle, Iowa. 515-689-9444

Happy Arbor Day, and happy tree planting!

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