Protecting Pollinators from Danger

Pollinators face a lot of threats in today's world. One of the main dangers is exposure to poisonous chemicals called pesticides. Pesticides are sprayed in gardens and farms to kill unwanted insects that can damage plants. When pesticides get sprayed on flowers that create nectar, the pollinators don't just eat the nectar, they also eat some of the pesticides! This can sicken and even kill the pollinators.

Some pollinators are also in danger because their habitat may be destroyed when people pave over open, natural space to build parking lots, homes or shopping malls. This is called habitat loss, which means the animals and insects that depended on that area lose their natural home and food they need to survive. Every time a garden, farm or natural area is destroyed, pollinators have fewer places to live and less food to eat.