EAST AURORA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A new study the first of its kind said New York's pollinators could be at risk of going extinct.
"We need the pollinators to make the food that we rely on," Masterson's Garden Center manager, Erin Holko said.
Insects pollinate the vast majority of our fruits and vegetables, and are part of our daily diet.
"Just in New York State, our apple crop is a huge part of the industry. The agricultural industry in the state, and we rely on pollinators to pollinate the apples. Without them, we won't have apples and that's just a really simple example of something we would be without without the pollinators," Masterson said.
The Empire State Native Pollinator Survey estimates about 38% of New York native pollinators like, honeybees, wasps, butterflies and hummingbirds, risk extinction from the state's ecosystem. In the worst-case situation, experts predict we would see up to 60%.
"Without changing what we're doing, that's exactly what would happen eventually, whether it's in the next 10 years or the next 50 or 100 years," Holko said.
Holko said the easiest way to change this is by starting in your own back yard. You can start small by planting flowers.
"Pollinators feed on flowers. They feed on nectar and pollen. Whether it's a big showy flower that attracts everyone in the neighborhood or something as small as a mint plant that has little tiny flowers," Holo said.
Other solutions involve, reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides and changing the way your lawn is cut (i.e. converting your lawn or other biological deserts into pollinator habitats.
"Leave sections of the lawn un-mowed throughout the whole season or just mow them just periodically, so some more of the native plants can kind of take hold there," Holko said.
This way, the native pollinators could have a safe haven to breed, feed and move onto to the other important jobs they have to do.
