Tag: pollinator

Exploring Florida’s Natives: Scarlet Sage

by Julia
May 15, 2026

Scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea), also called red salvia, scarlet salvia, or tropical sage, is a blooming Florida native. Red, pink, or white flowers attract all kinds of pollinators, a few being hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Keep reading ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, Home Landscapes
Tags: Butterfly Garden, Butterfly Gardens, Exploring Florida's Natives Series, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Flowering, Flowers, Full Sun Gardens, Gardening, Gardens, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Native, Native Gardens, Pollinator, Salvia Coccinea, Scarlet Sage

Tasks and Duties throughout the Life Cycle of a Worker Honey Bee

by Anthony Rodriguez
May 15, 2026

Have you ever wondered where the saying, “busy like a bee” comes from? Well, it comes from the worker honey bee - known to be the most active bee of their species, Apis millifera, as they are faced with many different tasks and duties throughout ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Camp, Clubs & Volunteers, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Livestock, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Acknowledge, Apis Mellifera, Bugs, Colonies, Colony, Cycle, Drones, Duties, Duty, Eggs, Honey, Honey Bee, Insects, Laying Workers, Life, Life Cycle, Nectar, Needs To Bee Protected, Pollen, PolliNATION, Pollinator, Pollinators, Queen, Save The Bees, Task, Tasks, Worked, Worker Honey Bee, Workers, Working

UF/IFAS research protects pollinators from harmful pesticide exposures

by Megan Winslow
May 15, 2026

Years ago, when purchasing a flat of pansies at a garden center, Chris Wilson noticed a label indicating the flowers had been treated with insecticides. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘But bees can’t read labels,’” said Wilson, ... READ MORE

Category: Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, Wildlife
Tags: Bee, Chris Wilson, Collaboration, Contamination, Environmental Horticulture Department, Grant, IFAS, Insecticide, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Lantana, Megan Winslow, Mia Cabrera, Nectar, Nifa, Pest, Pesticide, Pollen, Pollinator, Pollinator Week, Research, Salvia, Sandra Wilson, Soil, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Study, Tyler Jones, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, USDA National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, Vanesa Rostán

What is a nativar and why use them in the landscape?

by Tia Saracino
April 14, 2026

What is a nativar? A nativar is a cultivated variety of a native plant. Nativars have the same drought-tolerance and local adaptations as straight natives, but may also have improved form or other traits desirable for urban landscapes. A ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Cultivar, Florida Native Plants, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Native, Pollinator, Tsilvasy

How to Participate in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census

by Tia Saracino
April 14, 2026

UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County in encouraging residents to participate in a citizen science project to help count insect pollinators during the Pollinator Census. The Great Southeast Pollinator Census is a regional event for the Southeastern ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Census, Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Insects, Pollinator, Tsilvasy

Groundcovers for an Alternative Lawn

by Tia Saracino
April 13, 2026

Lawns planted with turfgrass can require a lot of maintenance. Bahia grass is a drought-tolerant turfgrass with minimal pest and disease problems and a low nitrogen requirement. St. Augustinegrass has a high demand for water and fertilizer and ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Alternative Lawns, Groundcover, Hillsborough, Native, No Mow Lawns, Pollinator, Silvasy, Tampa

Ways to Save: Grow Seasonal ‘Smarts’ For Your Vegetable Garden

by Mindy Hanak
February 11, 2026

Do you have a spring planting habit? If you are interested in growing food crops in your Florida garden it is very important to keep your seasons in mind when selecting what you will plant. I may break your heart when I tell you that now is ... READ MORE

Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Work & Life
Tags: EdibleGardeningSeries, Food, Garden, Pgm_Gardens, Pollinator, Pollinators, Save, Saving, Shop, Shopping, Vegetable Gardening, WaysToSave

Ways to BEE in our community

by Mindy Hanak
February 11, 2026

Interested in connecting with your local community and BEEing more environmentally friendly? Keen on supporting pollinators or tapping into some of our many Extension resources on gardening or sustainability? Read on for ways to "BEE" connected ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Home Landscapes
Tags: Annual Plant Sale, Bee, Gardening, Horticulture, Insect, Insects, Land Insects, Landscape Insects, Pgm_Gardens, Pollinator, Shared Spaces

The Buzz about Bees in Florida

by Forest Hecker
February 11, 2026

Bees, those tiny yet industrious creatures, have been silently playing a crucial role in sustaining our economy and environment. The mesmerizing dance of honeybees, gathering nectar from vibrant flowers, not only produces the golden elixir ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Work & Life
Tags: Bee, Garden, Insect, Insects, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Land Insects, Landscape, Landscape Insects, Pgm_HortRes, Pollinator

Pollinators: it’s not all about the bees

by Carol Wyatt-Evens
February 11, 2026

Do you enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the morning? Or a perfectly ripe watermelon for dessert? Perhaps a tasty blueberry, strawberry, and banana smoothie? If so, then thank a pollinator. Pollinators play a vital role in supporting commercial ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources
Tags: Biorational, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Insects, Pest, Pesticide, Pgm_Chemicals, Pollinator, Pollinators

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