Making the most out 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. 

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."