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A University of Connecticut report  combining two decades of data with recent tests reveals widespread contamination of the state’s surface and groundwater by neonicotinoids, insecticides linked to falling populations of birds, bees and other pollinators. The Report Highlights the Urgent Need for Connecticut to Address Neonicotinoid Insecticide Pollution in Waterways. The report, by UConn’s Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, adds to the growing body of research and evidence that neonicotinoid insecticides are finding their way into streams and rivers from turf grass including lawns and golf courses as well as from agricultural uses. In addition to the connection to pollinator and bird declines, neonics also pose a health risk to humans. Connecticut has a bill this year before the legislature to end some high harm, low benefit uses of neonics to help protect bees, butterflies, river insects, birds and people. For more information about the bill and how to support it if you live in Connecticut, visit CT Pesticide Reform.

It was a perfect May evening in Newtown, blue skies and warm temperatures. A number of friends and members of Protect Our Pollinators had gathered just beyond the Newtown dog park where a line of hemlocks displayed the white, woolly-looking clusters, evidence that these trees had been infected with Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). Left unchecked HWA can destroy enough hemlock needles to put the tree in serious condition in just a few years. So, it was beetles to the rescue as two containers of St (Sasajiscymnus tsugae) beetles were about to be released into the tree branches. These beetles are native to Japan where they act as predators and keep the adelgids under control. However, St beetles are not native in the U.S. and are raised here by one grower in Pennsylvania (Tree-Savers) who is the supplier of St beetles to sites in the eastern U.S. states. These tiny beetles are shipped in round plastic containers which contain up to 100 beetles, a damp wafer-like sponge, and some excelsior material, all of which were kept in a cool place where the beetles had become quite inactive. But once they were exposed to the warmth of a sunny day, they showed that they were ready to call Newtown their new hometown – and that they were ready for a meal. Third-grader Josie Rivera holding beetles. Third-grader Josie Rivera, a lover of science and especially insects, was more than happy to help with the release. As a container of beetles was handed to her, she intently focused on her “charges” as she helped to attach the contents of the plastic container to the tree. Once done, she was all smiles, knowing that she had helped the beetles and the trees. The release of St beetles has been done by the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station since the early 1990’s. Success of this program is evident by healthy hemlocks in hundreds of acres of state forest and park lands that have been saved through the release of this beetle.  The St beetles feed only on adelgids, making them a perfect bio-control method in that they do not impact non-target species. Luckily, they survive Connecticut winters, making them a sustainable control measure since new beetles do not have to be released the following spring. They are smart enough to leave some adelgids to allow for food for future generations, but eat enough adelgids to provide for health of the hemlocks.  Protect Our Pollinators was proud to initiate this project, with the approval of Newtown Land Use and the help of Dan Holmes who identified the site and made it accessible for the event. Written by Mary Gaudet-Wilson

The CT Clean Rivers Campaign is on a mission to test levels of neonicotinoid pesticides in state rivers, and we need your support to make it happen! Learn more and DONATE HERE Your donation will be matched 100% by Sustainable CT When pesticides are applied to fields, lawns, or golf courses, they eventually wash into nearby streams where they kill aquatic insects. Testing rivers for neonics is one way to show where these pesticides are showing up in the environment. The Clean Rivers Campaign is sponsored by Connecticut Pesticide Reform (CPR) , a grassroots coalition of individuals and CT conservation organizations, including Pollinator Pathway, whose mission is to achieve reductions in the use of pesticides harming human health, birds and pollinators, and contaminating the state's waters.

Common evening primrose plant (Oenothera biennis) hosts the beautiful pink Primrose moth (Schinia florida). Primrose moths hide inside evening primrose flowers during the day; as the yellow flowers fade to pink, the moths are perfectly camouflaged. Look for these beautiful pink moths from summer into fall on fields and roadsides - the habitat for common evening primrose. Photos of the Primrose moth on Common evening primrose. Photos by Louise Washer.

By Holly Kocet We all want to help our threatened insect pollinators by planting pollinator gardens. But are we making the best possible plant choices? Bee “specialists” require pollen from a specific genus or family of plants. Researchers have discovered that while many bees collect nectar from a variety of plants, it is a different story when it comes to pollen. Bee “specialists” require pollen from a specific genus or family of plants. Often referred to as ‘host’ plant specialization, it is a trait also shared by butterfly caterpillars. No host plant, no pollinator. These specialist bees emerge from their nests the same time their host plant begins to flower; a mutual benefit since flowers often depend on the pollination of a specific bee species. Providing plants for specialist bees will also benefit generalist pollinators like our endearing bumble bee whose very survival depends on availability of floral resources, spring through fall. See what plants benefit Specialist Pollinators

"After the Vermont state legislature overrode a veto from Governor Phil Scott, Vermont has now become the second state in the U.S. to ban neonicotinoids, or neonics, a type of pesticide that is particularly harmful to bees. The ban comes at the start of Pollinator Week." Read the full article here .

Photo of Great Golden Digger Wasp by Karalyn Lamb In mid to late summer in the northeastern US, several species of large solitary wasp frequent gardens, parks, and other open spaces.  Despite their threatening appearance, solitary wasps are totally harmless. They are more interested in hunting other invertebrates–like spiders, flies, and bees–than they are in you. R ead more  from the Tufts Pollinator Initiative blog.

If so, you have the chance to see the most important floral specialists in agriculture, native solitary bees of two genera, Peponapis and Xenoglossa, the so-called "squash bees". Look at your squash’s flowers during the first few hours after sunrise. Male squash bees will be darting between flowers, searching for mates. By noon, they will be fast asleep in the withered flowers. Pruinose Squash Bees in a zucchini flower. Photo by Karalyn Lamb. Before Europeans brought honeybees to the New World, squash bees were busy aiding the adoption, domestication, spread, and production of squashes and gourds by indigenous peoples throughout the Americas. Read more from the US Forest Service Pollinator of the Month webpage.

"Most consider butterflies the crown jewels of the Lepidoptera world, but somewhere between where the trees meet the sky and shrubs anchor their roots in the earth live some fantastic moths, which depend on woody plants for most if not all of their lives. They range from large to small and soft to stinging. Some never eat as adults and some feed on flowers during the day, right outside your window." Learn more about Moths and their Woody Host Plants HERE. Photo of a Luna Moth by Karalyn Lamb Moths are incredibly important pollinators, some even say they are more efficient than day-flying pollinators such as bees! "Moths are among the most diverse and successful organisms on Earth and scientists estimate there are 150,000 to 500,000 moth species. Their colors and patterns are either dazzling or so cryptic that they define camouflage. Most moths are nocturnal, but some fly in daylight like butterflies." Learn more about National Moth Week HERE!

By Elizabeth Craig Photo of a Luna Moth The best way to protect moths from light pollution is to turn off exterior lights when possible and to shade windows in lighted rooms at night. If you have to use outdoor lighting, consider lights that are motion activated, dim low-voltage lighting or LED lights with a warm color temperature. They are all less attractive to moths and other insects. And ditch that electronic “bug zapper” if you have one. They are still manufactured and widely available despite the overwhelming research showing they are useless for controlling pests such as mosquitos. One study examining the effectiveness of bug zappers found that of the 13,789 moths and other insects killed during a summer season by one typical residential bug zapper, only 31 of them were biting insects. Protecting moths should be a priority. They are even more hardworking than our daytime pollinators. And to learn more about how light pollution is driving the demise of many insect populations, check out The Devastating Role of Light Pollution in the Insect Apocalypse.

Calling it the “new DDT,” scientists, educators, and environmentalists met at a conference hosted by the Connecticut Pesticide Reform coalition, at Trinity College in Hartford, CT on March 11, 2024, to discuss the danger to humans and wildlife from neonicotinoids, a type of pesticide often used on crops, golf courses, lawns, and gardens. “Neonics, the New DDT—What You Need to Know About the Pesticides Harming Connecticut’s Birds, Bees, Wildlife and People” was aimed at educating environmental advocates, state residents, and government officials on how they can join forces to reduce the use of these pesticides in Connecticut. Pollinator Pathway is part of the Connecticut Pesticide Reform coalition which is working to persuade the Connecticut General Assembly to pass a bill strictly regulating the use of neonicotinoids, also known as neonics. In Connecticut, neonics are used mainly on lawns and golf courses and, on a smaller scale, in agriculture. To learn more and see a summary of the presentations and a recording, visit CT Audubon's Conference report HERE.

Love blueberries? Did you know that they generally bloom in the spring and are most effectively pollinated by Buzz Pollinators like bumblebees? Black and Gold Bumblebee  (Bombus auricomus) queen on Blueberry. Photo by Heather Holm. “An essential partner in the production of blueberries are the bees that are the primary pollinators for blueberry flowers.  While commercial growers may use Honey Bees to pollinate their crops, there are several species of native bees that are much more efficient blueberry pollinators. Blueberry flowers are bell-shaped and the pollen is most efficiently dispensed from the flowers’ anthers through a process called sonication, or ‘buzz’ pollination.  Buzz pollination is a process of releasing pollen by which the pollinator clings to the flower and vibrates its wing muscles without moving its wings.  This sets up enough of a vibration for the anthers to discharge a dusting of pollen on the flower visitor.  The wing vibration makes a buzzing sound, which gives this technique its name. Some of the pollen will be carried from flower to flower to enable pollination, while the rest is a pay-off for this service, and will be eaten by the bee and her larvae.  Bees drink nectar, but pollen is also a very important food source for them. Honey Bees are not capable of buzz pollination, but several families of native bees are, including bumble bees, large carpenter bees, mining (Andrenid) bees, many sweat bees, some mason (Osmia) bees and Melitta bees.  Highbush and Lowbush Blueberry shrubs evolved with these bees who are native to the same region and habitats.  These native bees are able to handle the flowers more quickly and dispense and carry more pollen than the Honey Bees who lack this athletic skill.  Mason bees generally are very swift and efficient pollinators, able to process flowers many times more quickly than Honey Bees. Blueberries are not the only crop that is most efficiently pollinated through sonication.  Cranberries, tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes, peppers and eggplant are some of the other crops that have a higher rate of pollination when native bees with this skill are available to help pollinate their flowers.” Check out the full post from The Natural Web.