Safeguard Pollinator Habitat

Certification Requirements:

Within the area to be certified:

  • Eliminate use of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides
  • Remove any existing invasive plants
  • Do not plant any invasive ornamental plants

For the rest of your landscape*:

  • Create a plan to remove invasive plants
  • Do not plant any invasive ornamental plants
  • Reduce pesticide use by adopting at least 3 of the following practices:
    • Plant pest resistant varieties
    • Only use pesticides when necessary to maintain plant health
    • Scout for and positively identify pests before treating
    • Hand pick insects pests
    • Use physical barriers like floating row cover to protect plants
    • Choose the least toxic pesticides available

*If you don’t have sole control over the area around your pollinator garden (e.g., condominium, school, rental), you can instead commit to advocating to the property manager about the importance of removing invasive plants, reducing pesticide use, and safeguarding pollinators from pesticides in the area surrounding the pollinator garden.

 

Pesticides and Pollinators

A pesticide is a substance that is used to control or eliminate an unwanted pest and include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides. The use of pesticides can have unintended consequences including killing pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Plants, including the plants in your garden, are part of an ecosystem and provide food for animals including pollinators. Damage to plants from native insect feeding is normal and unlikely to impact the health of your plant. With this in mind, you can learn to tolerate or even appreciate some damage to your plants.

Invasive insect pests, like invasive plants, can negatively impact the ecosystem and human health. Follow recommended practices so control invasive insect pests that appear in your garden.

Reduce Pesticide Use

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a technique you can use to address pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment. IPM uses alternative and preventative measures to address pests, with pesticides used selectively and safely as a last resort and only when necessary.

Integrated pest management techniques include:

  • Use of natural pest predators
  • Hand picking pests
  • Excluding pests with row covers
  • Practicing good hygiene to prevent the spread of diseases
  • Selecting disease resistant varieties
  • Ensuring plant health through proper fertilizing and irrigation

Limit Risk to Pollinators

If application of a pesticide is necessary, always read and follow the pesticide label carefully to minimize risk to yourself and the environment. Additionally:

  • Choose the least toxic and least persistent option
  • Avoid applying pesticides when a plant is flowering
  • Apply pesticides at a time of day when bees are not active
  • Avoid using systemic pesticides, like neonicotinoids, or purchasing pre-treated plants

Pollinators won’t just forage for pollen and nectar in your pollinator garden; they also live, eat, and reproduce in the surrounding environment. Protect them by limiting or eliminating the use of pesticides in all the habitats they rely on.

Learn More About Pesticides and Pollinator Habitat: 

Invasive Plants

Invasive plants are non-native species that harm the environment, economy, or human health. 1 Without natural predators or diseases to keep them in check, they can outcompete native plants, disrupting ecosystems and affecting pollinators.

Invasive plants can:

  • Escape our yards and spread to natural areas.
  • Outcompete native plants for space and resources
  • Displace native plants that pollinators rely on for food, shelter, and nesting
  • Host diseases that harm native plants.
  • Reduce biodiversity

Action Steps

  1. Learn to identify invasive plants
  2. Remove invasive plants to prevent their spread and replace with native plants
  3. Avoid introducing new invasive plants, either intentionally or accidentally

Refer to the resources below for information on identifying and eliminating specific invasive plants.

Learn More About Invasive Plants: 

1. Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Invasive plants in Maine. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/invasives.htm