Yes, pest control technicians are trained not to treat blooming flowers. They focus on the places where mosquitoes hide, which are not the same places that pollinators visit.
With the gardens and wildflowers around the lakes up here, plenty of homeowners want to know the bees and butterflies aren't an afterthought. They shouldn't be.
Where product goes matters a lot, and technicians know that. They’re careful about targeting. That’s why only the places where mosquitoes are likely to rest get treated. The undersides of foliage, the insides of dense shrubs, and tall grass are problems. The open blooms that pollinators visit are not, which is why they won’t get treated.
The other big factor is when the treatment is applied. Bees and butterflies come out in the late morning and afternoon. Treatment is applied in the early morning or evening when the bees and butterflies are least active. Dried residue on non-flowering foliage is far less of a concern to a bee that wasn't going to land there in the first place.
Having said that, if you’re worried about pollinators, you can mention this to your technician before starting service. It’s a good idea to do so. After all, the conventional products are insecticides, so wet spray landing directly on a flower could harm a bee that tries to draw nectar from it. You can always help by showing the technician where your flowering beds and pollinator garden are so they know what not to treat.
If you're tired of wondering whether your yard service is looking out for the bees, Mosquito Squad of North Central Minnesota can help. Mosquito Squad applies treatment with pollinator-conscious placement and timing, offers a natural option, and helps protect your yard with up to 90% reduction in mosquito activity on a 21-day cycle.
