Making the most of moths and other unsung heroes of pollination

With spring well underway, gardening enthusiasts are becoming eager to grab their shovels and seeds.

And they're being urged to support pollinators in the process.

Kaushal Rathnayake, a pollinator biologist at the University of New Brunswick, says there's much to consider about a pollinator garden, including  which coloured flowers to plant, where those plants come from, and which pollinators they'll support most.

With pollinators, what usually comes to mind first are bees and butterflies.

But moths, flies, beetles and hummingbirds are the unsung heroes of pollination in New Brunswick, said Rathnayake, who is also a volunteer teacher at the Fredericton Botanic Garden:.

Moths are especially important and easily forgotten about, because they work at night. 

"More than butterflies and bees, moths can be very, very efficient in their pollinator service," he said.

While butterflies and moths look similar, their bodies have different characteristics that become important to the pollination process. 

"Moths are so hairy that when they land on flowers, they get a lot of pollen attached to their bodies," Rathnayake said, unlike butterflies, that don't have much hair on their bodies. 

These pollinators transfer pollen from the male part of a flower to the female, allowing fertilization and seed production, he said.

The process is usually done unintentionally as different species get nectar from flowers, which is why feathers and hair are important characteristics for collecting and transferring pollen. 

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Moths, beetles, hummingbirds and flies are all pollinators — along with bees, of course — that can be helped by planting pollinator gardens.

While most birds don't pollinate, the process itself is critical for supplying birds with a consistent food supply. 

"Moths also produce lots of caterpillars and you need moths in your home gardens because the birds love to eat them."

"So when we plant native pollinator gardens, we're not just supporting bees — we're strengthening local food webs, increasing native plant diversity, and fostering energy flow through the ecosystem. That in turn helps sustain bird populations and reinforces biodiversity across the board."

Rathnayake said butterfly caterpillars are often not palatable for birds and can even have defence mechanisms that make them toxic or hard to eat. Whereas moth caterpillars are a juicy and nutritious snack for birds. 

He said we can support moths by planting flowers they can see in the dark. That's why he recommends planting white flowers that have a strong fragrance.

"Also, they would love to go for our blueberries and the other berries that we grow in our area, Rathnayake said. "So we can plant these in our home gardens to service these pollinators."

New Brunswick is home to many beautiful moth species, such as the luna moth and primrose moth, and each has its  own host plants. Rathnayake said planting an evening primrose flower, for example, would be specifically beneficial for the primrose moth. 

He said pollinators like to be effective in their work, so they are most likely to seek out plants that perform the best in their environment. This is why it's important to use as many native plants as possible. 

"The environment works as an energy transfer system," Rathnayake said. "So pollinators, when they're living in one particular area, usually like to go for the most energy-contributing plants that are obviously native plants."

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He said bees still reign supreme for pollination in New Brunswick and they are going to seek out flowers with blue and yellow tones and a strong fragrance with ample pollen potential. 

"These plants have something called pollinator syndromes," Rathnayake. "We identify that as shapes, colours and smells that are specialized for these bee pollinators.

"So bees go for these plants and they love that and they're like super attractants." 

Here are some native flowering plants to try: 

• Aster 

• Joe Pye weed

• Solidago (or goldenrods) 

• Sink foil

• Hepatica 

• Penstemon heisters (or hairy beardtongue) 

• Penstemon digitalis (or foxglove) 

• Swamp rose

• Meadowsweet

• Columbine

While some of these flowers might look challenging to pollinate due to their tubular shape, Rathnayake says bees in particular use a method called "buzz pollination" which involves vibrating to loosen and dislodge pollen. 

Flower gardens aren't the only place we can support pollinators, said Rathnayake. 

"I know most of you are gardening these days and you're gardening your food for us, but why don't you think about plants that are having these nice little coloured flowers like the bush beans," he said. 

"They are really red and they're really good for the hummingbirds." 

Here are some edible plants to try: 

• Cucurbits (including quash, pumpkin, zucchini) 

• Blueberries

• Raspberries

• Tomatoes 

• Chives

• Dill

• Eggplant 

• Nastarium 

Rathnayake said the best pollinator gardens are the messiest ones, and it's important to not weed at this time of year. 

"Why not try to be a nice neighbour and keep your lawn unmowed, so the plants like dandelions can come in and support pollinator work," he said.