Attracting Pollinators

Attracting Pollinators 

Pollinator Garden at Townhome taken on June 22nd, 2021

Pollinators are an essential part of the ecosystem and our food supply and without them, most of the items that rely on plants would not exist. When most people think of pollinators, they think of bees, wasps, and in some cases flies. However, pollinators come in many shapes and sizes and include other animals such as birds, or certain mammals (namely bats). Today, many of our pollinators and beneficial insects are declining due to habitat loss, the use of pesticides, pollution, genetically modified plants, and competition with nonnative species. Many people are familiar with the decline of the Honeybee, or even or declines in native bumblebees, and solitary bee species, although the issue goes beyond these insects. Ants, beetles, flies, moths, butterflies, and certain true bugs (which differ from beetles) also pollinate flowers. Additionally many plants including crops like Tomatoes, Blueberries, and Squash need specific species of bees, or other insects to successfully complete their reproduction and provide the benefits of produce. While beekeeping and conserving the Honeybee is important, it is also important that we provide habitat for our native species of bees, as well as for other insects and invertebrates that call our gardens home. In this article, I will go over how to establish a pollinator friendly garden that would work in any setting from an estate or farm out in the countryside to the balcony of an urban apartment. I had experience with two gardens in Wilmington NC with one being at a house near the city center and the other being at a townhome community which gave me experience in providing wildlife and bird habitat in "apartment-like" settings. 

What Are Pollinators 

American Bumblebee on Zinnia

Pollinators by their simplest definition (Wikipedia Style) are animals that move pollen from one plant to another to help with feralization. Most species of plants have separate male and female flowers while a few plants such as blueberries and most members of the Rose Family (including Hawthorns, Apples, etc) have male and female plants. The male flower produces pollen from the Anther while the female flower receives pollen from the Stigma which fertilizes the Ovules. This is how fruit-bearing plants such as Pokeweed, Beautyberry, or Blackberries produce fruits, and seed producer like sunflowers or thistles produce seed. Not all plants need pollinators to reproduce. Many grasses and sedges send pollen into the air while Gymnosperms such as conifers, and the Gingko tree produce do not flowers at all (also sending pollen into the air). Below are some help links get a basic understanding the concepts of pollination with Wikipedia being a good starting point. 

References 

• Pollinators at Wikipedia
• Gymnosperms at Wikipedia 
• Angiosperm or Flowering Plants at Wikipedia

Types of Pollinators 

Spring Azure Butterfly and one of it's host plants White Clover

There are many types animals that can perform pollination although insects make up the majority of the pollinators in most areas. Bees are adapted for pollination with most of the species featuring fuzzy or hairy bodies, or pollination baskets on their legs to help carry pollen from one plant to the next. The bee is rewarded by access to the nectar within the flower, while some bees such as Honeybees, Pollen Bees, and Bumblebees also store or consume pollen directly. Wasps can also pollinate plants although unlike bees most species are evolved as predators and catch prey for their larvae (though the adults consume nectar or other sweets). A few species of wasps specialize in pollination including the Pollen Wasp, while most just carry pollen inadvertently when they visit a flower for nectar or to catch prey. Flies make up the third major category of pollinator with some species of hoverfly, and many bee flies featuring hairs that can catch pollen, while other species of flies such as members of the Housefly (Muscidae) family and even certain mosquitos (not all species bite) also function as pollinators. Moths, butterflies, ants, beetles, certain bugs (namely plant bugs), and even other invertebrates such as jumping spiders may pollinate plants to some extent although out of these animals, Sphinx Moths, flower beetles, and scarabs can be efficient pollinators. 

Solitary Bee (likely a Sweat Bee) on a Shasta Daisy

In addition to insects, some types of vertebrates may contribute to the pollination of plants. Bats in tropical regions of the Americas, Africa, and Asia may pollinate flowering plants when they drink nectar, although it is not clear if there are any North American bats the perform pollination. I have seen bat flying around Moonflower, and other nocturnal flowers in our old garden although they were likely going after moths attracted to the flowers. Birds will also pollinate plants with tropical species such as hummingbirds, and sunbirds, or the Hawaiian Honeycreeper being the primary pollinator for a number indigenous species, with a few plants dependent solely on one or two birds. In North America, the Cardinal Flower, Trumpet Vine, Crossvine, and several Hibiscus species rely entirely on hummingbirds, orioles, and other nectar-eating birds for pollination, while plants like Salvias and Red Hot Pokers are mostly pollinated by hummingbirds (or long-tongued moths) as bees will just chew the side of the flower as they cannot reach the nectar. There are also examples of other mammals pollinating flowers including a few rodents, primates, and Australian Possums while lizards may also contribute, though this mostly applies to tropical regions. 

Eastern Carpenter Bee on Yarrow 

In the Carolinas, the majority of the pollinators are insects with hummingbirds, and certain songbirds such as Orioles, Tanagers, Parulidae Warblers, and members of the Tit family  (Parus), namely chickadees, also visiting flowers or tree blossoms. In the Cape Fear Region, there are more than a hundred species of bees including the Western Honeybee, nine species of Bumblebee, and numerous solitary species such as Sweat Bees, Mason Bees, Carpenter Bees, Mining Bees, and Leafcutter Bees. Most of the bees are generalist and can visit many kinds of plants, although some solitary species are specialists and visit only one family of plants, or in some cases a specific species. Examples of specialists include the Squash Bee Peponapis pruinosa and the Blueberry Bee Habropoda laboriosa exclusively visit plants in the Squash and Vaccinium family respectively and are crucial for the production of Squash, Pumpkins Watermelon and Highbush Blueberries. 

Mature Paper Wasp nest at Townhome, June 22nd, 2021. Species: Polistes exclamans

Mason Wasp species with prey item

While wasps are often disliked by residents and some species such as Eastern Yellowjacket, Bald Faced Hornet, and the Aerial Yellowjacket (or Tree Wasp) can be aggressive around their nests, most of our garden species are docile and some species don't even have stingers. There are hundreds of wasp species in the Carolinas with most of them being solitary predators that keep insects and spiders in check, including garden pests like Cabbage White Moths, leafhoppers, grasshoppers, and even biting flies. Paper Wasps (Polistes) are the most common social wasps in garden settings (it is rare for Yellowjackets or Hornets to set up residence in domestic or urbanized settings and are mostly at home in woodlands). There are dozens of species in our region with almost all of them building umbrella shaped nests in trees or under ledges. While they can sting if disturbed or grabbed, these wasps are nonaggressive and can be apex predators of the garden (on par with Red Tailed and Red Shouldered Hawks), and the adults visit many kinds of flowers. Mason Wasps and Potter Wasps resemble Paper Wasps but are black and white (or yellow) and create mud domes or nest solitarily in crevices. Pollen Wasps are some of the few wasps that specialize in pollination and will collect and consume pollen for various flowers and create mud nests (akin to a Mason Wasp or Mud Dauber) to store their pollen and raise their young.

Flesh Fly sp. Most flies including Houseflies, Flesh Flies, and Bottle Flies pollinate plants in addition to decomposing detritus and dead organisms 

Flies are an overlooked pollinator with hundreds of species calling our gardens, meadows, and forest homes, and only a tiny handful causing issues with humans, or livestock. While most people are familiar with houseflies, horseflies, and botflies (Mosquitos, and biting midges are also "flies") the other species are overlooked or mistaken for bees or wasps. Flower Flies (also called Hoverflies), Beeflies, and certain predatory flies (like Robber Flies) are mistaken for bees or wasps, while a few species resemble moths or dragonflies. The main difference between flies and other winged insects is that flies only have two wings, while others like bees, wasps, or moths have four wings. Beneficial flies can provide many services including preying or parasitizing pest species, cleaning up decaying biomass, and providing food for other insects. Beeflies, hoverflies Empidinae Flies (Danceflies) and even most members of the Muscidae family including the Common Housefly and Bluebottle Fly are important pollinators and a few plants rely mostly on flies for pollination. 

Red Spotted Purple 

Moths and Butterflies or Lepidoptera are the fourth major pollinator in the garden although they are not as efficient as bees, wasps, or flies. The nocturnal Sphinx Moth species as well as the diurnal Hummingbird and Snowberry Clearwing Moths (daytime equivalents) are probably the best examples of pollinating moths. These moths have hairy bodies and hover at flowers to sip nectar. Some flowers are only pollinated by these moths or rely on them as a major means of pollination. Butterflies will also carry pollen on their wings and bodies when they land on flowers although unlike the bees, this is mostly accidental.

Scarab Beetle in Pine Barren, Halyburton Park

Overlooked pollinators in the garden include the seemingly countless number of ants, beetles, bugs, and other terrestrial insects, as well as spiders. A healthy garden with limited or no pesticide use may host dozens, if not hundreds of species of ants that rarely (if ever) invade our homes or raid our picnic baskets. Ants are very important as pollinators as many species will gather nectar, or seeds from plants, moving pollen as a result. Ants of all species (even the invasive-exotic and painful fire ants) are arguably the most important inhabitants in the garden as they rotate and turn the soil (aerating it), distribute seeds, move nutrients, control insect populations, and are nature's leading architects, though that is the subject for another article. Scarab beetles (including Japanese Beetles), flower beetles, Blister beetles, and many kinds of True Bugs also live in flowers and will contribute to pollination, while Jumping Spiders, Crab Spiders, and other hairy spiders can also indirectly contribute as well. In the end, almost every type of insect or spider could pollenate a plant, and all of them are important for a balanced ecosystem. 

Attracting Pollinators 

Second photo of Townhome Garden, June 22nd, 2021

With the spread urban development, industrial agriculture, and the popularity of lawns and manicured landscapes, pollinators are rapidly declining in many parts of North America and across the world. In the Carolinas, many of our bee, wasp, and ant species are in decline from habitat loss, insecticide or toxic residues, and the introduction of nonnative and invasive species (example Fire Ants, parasitic mites that kill bees, or exotic plants that take over meadows and woodlands, reducing food abundance). On top of this, many gardens, commercial properties, and parks do not meet the needs of our pollinators. Planting a pollinator garden or adding native plants to a landscape helps to provide food for the insects but without suitable breeding habitat, reliable water, and a diverse ecosystem, many species will not survive and the effort to create an habitat for butterflies, bees, or birds is in vane. Creating a pollinator habitat is a simple task that anyone can do regardless of where they live. Habitat for bees, wasps, butterflies, and birds can fit into any landscape from unused (and nonproductive) areas bordering croplands or pastures, to a public square in the center of a major city (I have seen examples of this in Chicago, Charlotte, Boston, Raleigh, as well as smaller cities including Wilmington). Even apartment dwellers can contribute by creating raised beds, container gardens, or window planters with flowering plants and other sources. Lastly, community efforts such as commissioning bird and pollinator gardens in public parks, city or county-owned locations (Libraries, county offices, sports complexes), getting suburban or urban neighborhoods to start a community garden, or establishing gardens at schools and universities can help bring awareness to the issue while beautifying the landscape. 

Pollinator and Perennial Garden at NHC Arboretum  

Pollinator Gardens: Pollinator gardens are the easiest way to provide habitat for beneficial insects and will in-turn provide habitat for birds, butterflies, and other residents. These gardens fit in to any suburban or urban landscape as they are colorful, easy to maintain, and can be resized to fit any footprint. Pollinator gardens should contain as many species of plants as possible but should be plants that are adapted for the climate and site. Native plants are the best option for attracting and maintaining habitat for bees, wasps, and butterflies, although many nonnative and cultivated garden staples can be mixed in as long as they are hardy, beneficial, and do not become invasive. For instance, I found basils, mints, Crepe Myrtles, Petunias, and Russian Sage to be wonderful pollinator plants. Pollinator gardens should also contain nonflowering plants such as native grasses, vines, shrubs, and even trees as it adds habitat structure, improves aesthetics, and provides other needs such as places to raise young, shelter, and helps attract birds. Pesticides of any kind should not be used in pollinator or butterfly gardens as it defeats the purpose and can end up causing more harm to the beneficial insects than the pests. Instead, choose plants that are naturally resistant to pests, hardy, and include multiple types of plants to provide color or visual elements between bloom cycles or if caterpillars devour the leaves of a plant. Also remember that all butterflies and moths start out as caterpillars and killing the larvae reduces the butterfly populations. Pollinator gardens need only basic maintenance such as hand weeding, pruning of shrubs, and the rotating of annuals. Watering should be minimal once the plants are established which is why it is important to use plants that are native to Southeastern North Carolina, or to choose nonnative plants that are successful in our area. Dry sites should be landscaped with drought tolerant plants (known as xeriscaping) with Prickly Pear Cacti, Portulaca, Blanket Flower, Yuccas, Coreopsis, Yarrows, and Camphorweed being good plants for dry locations. 

Center: Portulaca (flowers closed), Left: Blanket Flower, Upper Right: Red Hot Poker

Bee Friendly Gardening: Any garden or landscape can be a habitat for pollinator, including one that are not specifically designed as Pollinator Gardens. The easiest and best way to make your garden pollinator friendly is to retire the insecticides and pesticides and to choose plants and landscape elements that do not depend on chemicals or heavy fertilizers to look good. Lawns still look good if there is clover, fleabane, dandelions, and wild phlox growing in it, while mulching, dense plantings, and the use of groundcovers can keep unwanted weeds out of manicured areas without using herbicides. Vegetable gardens, orchards, and even croplands are where bees and pollinators are needed the most. Mixing cultivated areas and vegetable patches with flowering plants, natives, or herbs will provide food for pollinators, attract predatory insects and spiders, and hopefully eliminate the need to hand-pollinate your tomatoes, blueberries, squash or other food plants (all plants that depend on native bees). Open ground and mown areas provide critical habitat for ground nesting bees such as sweat bees, squash bees, mining bees, and most solitary wasps, which is why insecticides are so dangerous when they are broadcast on lawns to control grubs, or other pests. Some hardy lawn grasses that are not as sensitive to insect pests include St Augustine and Centipede Grass, or Buffalo Grass, while going beyond turf grass is even a better option if it is allowed in the community (homeowner associations etc). Bee friendly plants can include plants in the aster family (sunflowers, coreopsis, ironweed, goldenrod, etc), beebalm, mountain mint, milkweeds, Sweet, Thai, or African Basil, Stevia, Blackberry, native roses (especially Carolina Rose or Swamp Rose), Azaleas, Seashore Mallow, and Rose of Sharon. 

Mud nest of a spider wasp or mud dauber species

Raising Young: Other ways of improving gardens for pollinators can include providing breeding habitat and shelter. Mason Bees, Leafcutter Bees, Mason Wasps, and Pollen Wasps all nest in crevices and will readily use bamboo or plastic tubes that are bundled together, a specially built Mason Bee House (available as many hardware and garden shops), or by drilling holes into untreated lumber or a log from a tree that was taken down. Carpenter Bees can be a pest as they like to drill into the timbers of homes or under window sill (even nest boxes meant for songbirds). Painting and treating wood can deter bees from drilling into unwanted areas, while using untreated lumber, logs, or creating a decorative wood fence can provide alternate habitat for Carpenter Bees as these giant bees are important pollinators of plants in the Tomato family, peppers, Tea Hibiscus, Blackberry, and most fruit trees like Apricots, Apples, Peaches, Pears, and even Citrus. All other bees will find place to nest within a suitable garden with sweat, mining, digger, and other terrestrial species (as well as most solitary wasps) digging burrows in the ground in barren, grassy, or even sloped areas, while other bees and wasps will nest behind bark, in hollow plant stems, or by rolling leaves. Paper Wasps will build their nests in trees, shrubs, or ledges including under the eaves of houses. If the nest is not directly over a doorway, open window, vent or anything else, it is best to leave these wasps alone as they are nonaggressive, and are the main predators of butterfly and moth caterpillars, beetle grubs, and even grasshoppers (dependent on species). Alternately, you can create nesting sites for Paper Wasps by using a piece or wood or a old wooden box to create a ledge under an awning, out building, or on a tree. Wasps will also use Butterfly Boxes (which contrary to their design do not house butterflies at all). Paper Wasp form small colonies that rarely exceed 50 individuals and I have walked under many Poliste nests without being stung or even harassed. Yellowjackets, and Hornets should not be encouraged in the garden as they are more aggressive and may have hundreds, or even thousands of workers by midsummer. However, it is important to remember that yellowjackets and hornets are nonaggressive when they are foraging and can prey on various insects including mosquitos, biting flies, moth and butterfly caterpillars, and do a better job at keeping populations in balance than solitary wasps or even Paper Wasps. Mud Daubers will also nest under eaves but are completely harmless and prey mostly on spiders, or grasshopper/crickets depending on the species. 

Western Honeybee on Yarrow

Honeybees: Honeybees are placed in their own category as they are critically important for many food plants but are not native to North America. These bees also are dependent on humans for their survival (at least in our area) although wild honeybee colonies do exist. While the same plant choices and habitat modifications above will help protect honeybees, the only way to "attract" them is to become a beekeeper and establish a hive of your own. Beekeeping is a full-time hobby that require regular upkeep, specialized equipment, and training to be successful and is not for everyone. Honeybees nest in specialized wooden hives that can be opened up to collect honey, perform upkeep, or to monitor the colony. Classic Honey Skeps can also be used although this is an entirely different process. It is best to refer to another beekeeper or expert before getting into Beekeeping and there are a number of resources available for aspiring beekeepers in our area (a simple web search). Outside of actually raising bees, honeybees can be helped by providing a variety of nectar plants including during the winter months (as Honeybees and native Bumblebees are active year-round in the Cape Fear). The flavor of honey is dependent on the types of flowers in the area. Plants such as Water Tupelo and Black Tupelo, White Clover, Buckwheat, and Wild Cherries are good flowering plants for honeybees, while most native plants, cultivated herbs, and garden perennials will also be used by honeybees. Avoid plants that have insecticides injected into their leaves or have genetic modifications to make them insect resistant as this will harm honeybees and native bees (look for naturally grown plants and choose natives when possible).

Tall Goldenrod loaded with Bumblebees, Solitary Wasps, and Honeybees

Bumblebees: Bumblebees are close relatives of the honeybee that occur in just about every part of the Northern Hemisphere including in regions too cold for other pollinators (like the Arctic or Alpine regions). Like Honeybees, Bumblebees produce honey and will store pollen in their hives and live in small colonies ranging from 10-500 individuals (Honeybee hives range between 15,000-100,000 individuals). Bumblebees nest in the ground, in hollow trees, or tall grass and create wax balls to store honey, pollen, or brood. They sometimes nest in birdhouses with nest material (especially old nests of chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, or Carolina Wrens), and may move into specially designed Bumblebee boxes, or a repurposed wood box, ceramic/terracotta pot, or another container mounted to a wall, tree or placed on the ground. Bumblebees can sting but are nonaggressive and like Paper Wasps, they are tolerant of humans as long as you keep a respectful distance. There are about nine species of Bumblebees in the Cape Fear Region and 15 of so species in the Carolinas. Many of our Bumblebee species are declining due to habitat loss, pesticides, competition with nonnative species (Fire ants can quickly wipe out a bumblebee colony), and like the Honeybees, entire colonies can disappear without warning. Bumblebees are better pollinators than honeybees or Carpenter Bees in many instances and are important for plants in the squash, tomato/pepper, Blackberry, or Rose/Hawthorn family. Bumblebees and some solitary bees perform a behavior known as Buzz Pollination where the bee vibrates its wings to move pollen more effectively than Honeybees. In the garden, Bumblebees can be attracted with flowering plants from the Aster Family (they love Rudbeckia and Echinacea Coneflowers, sunflowers, and Goldenrods), Salvias, Mountain Mint/Beebalm, Hibiscus, and most flowering trees. In the winter and early spring, Camellias, Asian Azaleas, Blueberries, Witch Hazel, Cherry Laurel, Dogwoods, and native woodland wildflowers (Phlox, Bluebells, Violets, etc) are important for Bumblebees, Honeybees, and Mining Bees. Bumblebee can nest in home gardens if there is a quiet wooded or brushy area as they are reluctant to nest near high traffic areas. 

Townhome Garden 3, Butterfly Bush is behind Birdbath

Butterfly Gardens: A Butterfly Garden is any garden that is designed to attract and host butterflies and moths. While most people associate butterfly gardens with flowering plants for adults, the most important element of a butterfly garden are the host plants that the caterpillars depend on for development. Such gardens should contain a selection of native plants that serve as hosts for the caterpillars rather than just flowering plants alone. The list of host plants and possible species is long, although a garden with a handful of plant families should attract most of the generalized species, while a few select plants may be added in to target a specific species or family. All butterfly gardens should be allowed to run their course aside from hand weeding, watering (until established) and other maintenance and pesticides should never be used in or near that garden as it will kill or harm the larvae (and bioaccumulate in any bird or reptile that eats the caterpillar or its adult form). As stated above in the pollinator garden section, butterfly plants are going to get chewed up or defoliated, so it is best to mix in other plants to offset the destruction, or plant the butterfly garden as a backdrop with other plantings to disguise the foliage damage. Plants that can be used to feed adult butterflies can include any of the plants mentioned above although I enjoy a mixture of native and nonnative species including Butterfly Bush (Buddleja), Coneflowers, Swamp Sunflowers, Goldenrods, Hibiscus, Salvias, Yarrows, and Stevia amongst others. Birds will gather around butterfly gardens to eat the larvae. Some birds that rely heavily on caterpillars include orioles, vireos, chickadees, many warblers, Yellow-Billed Cuckoos (esp Webworm and Tent Moths), and wrens. I have a short list of host plants below that should work in most gardens and landscapes.

Butterfly Milkweed, Joe Pye Weed, Coreopsis  

African Basil is among the best bee and butterfly magnets available, however, this herb can be hard to find and often has to be ordered from catalogues 

Host Plants

• Milkweeds and Butterfly Weed: Monarch and Queen Butterflies 
• Aster Family (any species): Crescents, Red Admiral, Others
• Grasses (like Switchgrass, Bluestem, St Augustine): Skippers, various Moths 
• Fennel, Parsley, Carrot: Black Swallowtail 
• Passionflower: Gulf Fritillary 
• Indigos, Baptista: Sulphurs, Eastern Tailed Blue, Others
• Vetch, Peas, Beans: Sulphurs, Blues, Hairstreaks, others
• Clover: Blues, Sulphurs, various moths, others
• Violets and Pansies: Meadow Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary, Diana Fritillary 
• Spanish Dagger, Adam's Needle, Century Plant: Yucca Moth 
• Flowering Tobacco, Nightshade: Tobacco and Tomato Hornworm, other Sphinxes 
• Wisterias (both native and nonnative): Silver Spotted Skipper, Long Tailed Skipper
• Grapes, Virginia Creeper, Peppervine: Small Sphinx, many other species

Select Shrubs and Trees

• Oaks: Many species of butterflies and moths (534 species according to Doug Tallamy)
• Willows: Many species including Tiger Swallowtail, Luna Moth, Viceroy 
• Maples: Many species including Luna Moth, Imperial Moth
• Hickory: Hickory Horndevil, Webworm, Tent Moth Caterpillar, Hairstreaks 
• Pawpaw: Zebra Swallowtail 
• Hackberries: Many species 
• Sweetgum: Imperial Moth, Luna Moth, Tiger Moths, many others 

Hummingbirds and other Birds

Profile of Ruby Throated Hummingbird 

Non-insect pollinators should not be overlooked as a number of plants rely heavily on birds for pollination and a few plants such as Cardinal Flower, Coral Honeysuckle, Crossvine, and certain Hibiscus species, Bromeliads, and trees rely solely on birds or bats. A garden that is attracted to bees, wasps, and flies will likely host hummingbirds as they visit the same types of flowers and most importantly, consume the insects attracted to them. Essential hummingbird plants in the region include Coral Honeysuckle (the red native species), Salvia of any species (they love Pineapple Sage, Black and Blue Salvia and Scarlet Sage the most), Beebalm, Crossvine, Passionflower (if you have a lot of space), and Red Buckeye (I do not recommend Trumpet Vine as it will take over the entire garden). Hummingbirds also need wooded borders and trees for nesting, and foraging, meadowlike areas, and small insects to support themselves and their nestlings. In the Carolinas, we can host the Ruby Throated Hummingbird from March to October (or year round in the Cape Fear Region and much of Coastal South Carolina), while the Rufous Hummingbird is an uncommon winter visitor to the coastal regions. 

Male Baltimore Oriole at window feeder

Orchard and Baltimore Orioles also consume nectar and pollenate certain plants and trees when they forage. These birds have long bills that allow them to get into flowers such as honeysuckle, buckeye, or trumpet vine, but also eat insects such as caterpillars. Both orioles love open spaces with trees and are common in most suburban or urban neighborhoods as well as near pastures in the Carolinas (Orchard in summer, Baltimore during the autumn and winter, except in Appalachia where it is a summer resident). Summer and Scarlet Tanagers also visit flowering plants and trees with the former species being a common summer resident in woodlands, savannas and neighborhoods. Summer Tanagers are also prolific bee eater that will even prey on hornets, yellowjackets, and wasps, although they do little harm to established Honeybee colonies (Kingbirds, Crested Flycatchers, and Mockingbirds may also forage around beehives or wasp nests). Lastly, several species of warblers will visit flowers for nectar and contribute to pollination. In the Carolinas, Tennessee, Nashville, and Orange-Crowned Warblers frequently visit flowers in gardens or woodlands with the latter bird being a common winter inhabitant in gardens and dooryards with Camellias, Gardenias, Azaleas, Loquats, Citrus, or Cherry Laurels. Yellow Throated Warblers, Parulas, Myrtle Warblers, and Cape May Warblers will also visit flowers. Other birds such as Ruby-Crowned and Golden-Crowned Kinglets, Carolina Chickadees, and a few other small birds have been observed sipping nectar from Camellias, Coral Honeysuckle, or tree blossoms. In the end, a well-planted garden or property will be as beneficial to birds as it is to pollinators. 

References and Good Books

1. Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy 
2. The Xerces Society Guide, Attracting Native Pollinators 
3. Keeping Bees by John Vivian (a good introduction to Beekeeping)

Websites

1. Xerces Society
2. New Hanover County Beekeepers Association