The Pacific Northwest is home to many pollinators including birds, bats, bees, butterflies and beetles. Which one of these creatures is your inner pollinator? Take this quiz to find out!
ABOUT YOU: You are a graceful, patient and confident creature, just like the spring azure butterfly. You appreciate the finer details in life and are a creative and optimistic individual. While you choose to spend most of your time in nature, you don’t mind popping into the city to visit with friends. You’re a nomad at heart, and your home is wherever you land on your next adventure. This sense of wanderlust is infectious and you often inspire others to join you. You prefer a leisurely, elegant meal in the evening or late afternoon, and you are always appreciative of a well-made cocktail or smoothie. Your carefree tendencies make you an easy guest, so you are often invited to parties. When it comes to fashion, your classic beauty and effortless good looks can carry any season. We love your friendly and easy-going nature; your presence reminds us of a warm summer day.
YOUR CREATURE: Spring azure butterflies are found throughout North America in woodland edges and frequent flower gardens. Their beautiful blue wings are an iconic sign of early spring. The males patrol throughout the day, but are most active at dusk. They lay eggs in woody areas on plants such as dogwood, spirea and blackberry. The adults can often be seen “puddling” in late afternoon when they dip into mud or small trickles of water to drink. Butterflies have some of the best color perception of any creature on Earth, so they are master pollinators. While they do not carry as much pollen as a bee, they often travel farther than bees and in doing so spread the pollen to a more diverse landscape.
IN THE GARDEN: Butterflies are not only beautiful residents for any garden, but very beneficial to native plants too. Planting wildlife friendly gardens with nectar-rich flowers will encourage butterflies of all kinds to visit your yard. Some of their favorite plants are currant, lavender, lupine, hyssop and rhododendron. Hungry caterpillars love salal and madrone. Leave wet soil and a few natural areas for butterflies and caterpillars to flourish. Remember to use natural gardening methods, instead of insecticides or pesticides.
Visit the Microsoft Pollinator Patio at Woodland Park Zoo to learn more about local pollinators and ways you can invite these beauties to visit your garden this summer. http://www.zoo.org/butterflygarden
ABOUT YOU: You are an independent, resourceful and extremely productive creature, just like the mason bee. You have a get-it-done kind of attitude and you’d rather be busy than lazing around. Your work ethic doesn’t interrupt your social life though, because your gentle and mellow soul allows room for all kinds of friends. While you prefer to spend time on your own, you put a lot of work into the relationships you do have. Your outward appearance mirrors your down-to-earth nature; you’d rather rock a hoodie than anything that attracts too much attention. Your many hobbies keep you happy, and you are always looking to improve your home DIY style. When it comes to snacking, you tend to go for local, organic fare and appreciate a home cooked meal. We love your constructive spirit and your resourcefulness is inspiring!
YOUR CREATURE: Mason bees are solitary bees, they do not live in hives or colonies. They seek out small spaces they find in wood piles, stones or natural cavities made by other insects. A female bee nests in these hollow cavities, leaving the larva in tiny cells made of mud with a provision of pollen for them to eat. After the adult bees emerge, they mate and then begin building their own nest sites. Female mason bees are extremely busy being both queen bee, worker bee and forager bee all at once. While mason bees do not produce honey, they are extremely productive pollinators for native flowers, fruits, and nuts as they tend to flit from plant to plant.
IN THE GARDEN: Mason bees are very beneficial to Northwest native plants, the blue orchard is the most common species here, although there are over 140 species worldwide. Mason bees are pretty easy to please and make fantastic garden pets. Leave a muddy, clay area in your yard, set out a few wood piles and plant native spring flowers with open petals such as rose, lavender or goldenrod (even dandelions). If you really want to roll out the welcome mat, consider building a mason bee house for your backyard. Remember to use natural gardening methods, instead of insecticides or pesticides.
ABOUT YOU: You are a gentle, social and industrious creature, just like the Italian honey bee. You are known for your tidiness and excellent organizational skills. You have a strong connection to family and friends and are especially liked by young people who look up to you. You prefer a clean shirt and jeans to anything too fashion forward, but your classic style fits you perfectly. When it comes to snacking, you are all about foraging. You enjoy sampling smaller meals throughout the day and really enjoy tasting fresh, local foods. Your house is always full of friends and your dance parties have inspired some amazing new moves. We love your authentic, affectionate personality; your presence is truly auspicious.
YOUR CREATURE: Italian honey bees are known for their industriousness, gentle demeanor and fertility. A subspecies of the western honey bee, these beautiful insects are the most widely distributed of all honey bees. The bees live in a colony with one queen bee, thousands of drones and tens of thousands of worker bees. The larva is fed royal jelly until they are able to eat pollen and nectar on their own. (A queen bee is only fed royal jelly!) The bees communicate by dancing and there are different dances to relay information about resources or to assist in collecting pollen from a bee returning to the hive.
IN THE GARDEN: Honey bees help pollinate your garden by visiting flowers to collect pollen. You can encourage them by installing native Pacific Northwest plants such as mock orange, dogwood, hyssop, clover or artichoke. Also remember to use natural gardening methods, instead of insecticides or pesticides. You can also support hives by purchasing locally collected honey from many Seattle-based honey makers.
ABOUT YOU: You are a vivacious, high-energy creature, just like the Anna’s hummingbird. You prefer to hustle and get things done rather than waiting around for someone else to do it. You love being seen, and your outfits reflect your bright personality. When it comes to family and friends you will stop at nothing to protect them, you are loyal and fierce. You prefer your food elegantly plated, but you’ll take a little protein snack here and there and you’ve been known to head straight to the dessert bar once you’ve spotted it. Your house is cozy and a little messy, but it’s all yours. We love your lust for life and your drive is infectious.
YOUR CREATURE: Anna’s hummingbirds have the highest heart rate and highest metabolism of any bird. They are aerobatic flyers (even able to fly backwards) and zip and dive to defend their home turf. They prefer sipping nectar from flowers which gives them a sort of high-energy boost, but they also snack on small insects and spiders. A male flirts by dive-bombing his favorite female (who could resist)! The tiny birds build nests no larger than a golf ball.
IN THE GARDEN: Hummingbirds help pollinate your garden by visiting flowers to sip nectar. You can encourage them by planting native Pacific Northwest flowers such as petunia, fuchsia, columbine and honeysuckle vines. Also consider installing a hummingbird feeder or small water source, such as a bird bath.
ABOUT YOU: You are a curious, calm and cool creature just like the sphinx moth. While others are worried about planning, you look at the world with a different perspective. You are a true individual. Some might call your style eccentric, but you can get away with just about any outfit, since your casual confidence reigns. When it comes to family and friends you prefer to visit on your own terms, but your wisdom and harmonious presence delights your guests. You are truly a creature of the night—dusk, evening and twilight are yours. Your home is a sanctuary, hidden away from the busy world. When you do emerge, you are on the lookout for a late night snack, preferably something with an especially spicy or sweet aroma. We love your chill, content attitude; your presence is a sign of tranquility.
YOUR CREATURE: Sphinx moths are moderate to large in size; some of them are even mistaken for hummingbirds. Despite their size, they are remarkably fast fliers and able to hover just like a helicopter. As caterpillars, they spend their time conspicuously camouflaged to protect them from predators and often rest with their head bent up, just like the sphinx in Egypt. When they emerge from their underground metamorphosis as a moth they have fuzzy, thick bodies and long wings. At dusk, they begin their quest for nectar from night blooming flowers.
IN THE GARDEN: Sphinx moths assist in pollinating your garden by visiting flowers to sip nectar at night. You can encourage them by installing native Pacific Northwest plants such as blue sage, wild rose, snowberry, honeysuckle or thistle. You can also leave leaf litter in small piles in your yard during winter, which is great for caterpillars! Remember to use natural gardening methods, instead of insecticides or pesticides.
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