Butterfly Conservation

by Webster Arboretum
Butterfly Conservation. No garden truly blooms until butterflies have danced upon it

Highway 13 Butterfly Conservation Trail

An exciting new Butterfly conservation project is taking shape in the state of Missouri. A nearly 300 mile corridor between the cities of Bethany and Branson is being developed along the path of Highway 13 to provide aid to local pollinators and provide a migratory route for traveling Monarch Butterflies.

Along the trail, carefully selected native wildflowers and grasses including milkweed, purple coneflowers, goldenrod, and bee balm are being planted. The hope is that by planting native species in strategic locations like rest stops, roadside plots, public parks, a continuous path of habitat supporting monarch butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, and other essential pollinators can be established.

Other Butterfly Trails

Asheville Butterfly Trail
beecityasheville.org/avl-butterfly-trail
Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail
rosalynncarterbutterflytrail.org/

Parks for Pollinators

Parks for Pollinators is a advocacy campaign created by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) that encourages education about the current plight of pollinators due to loss of habitat, pesticide use, and other factors. The NRPA hopes to inspire local action and park participation that advances native habitats and pollinator health. Locally, the Highland Park Conservancy is a member of the NRPA that works to further the principles of the organization.

Butterfly Conservation. Hojack Trail July 22
Hojack Trail, August 22

Meanwhile, here in Webster….

The images above were both taken on the Hojack trail. The photo of the Monarch butterfly was taken in the last week of July 2022. The photo of the mowed trail was taken at the same location just over a week later.

Two to three times each summer the Hojack trail is heavily cutback, removing the majority of pollinator plants that populate the edges of the trail. The mowing not only removes a source of food for butterflies and other pollinators, it destroys the young caterpillars growing in the plant-life along the trail. The milkweed, spicebush, and sassafras may comeback for a time, but the mowing process has consistently spread highly invasive swallow-wort further and further down the trail.

The mowing is not limited to the Hojack trail. The milkweed edging the ponds at Charles E. Sexton Memorial Park (North Ponds) are usually mowed down the week before the annual Waterfront festival in late July. Similar mowing is done at other parks within the Webster parks system. Sadly, even the Webster Arboretum Association consistently removes millweed plants from their gardens.

Consider planting a pollinator garden in your yard!

Mosquito Control

by Webster Arboretum
Mosquito Control

It’s difficult to find anything good to say about mosquitoes, biting flies, or ticks. Wouldn’t we all like a simple, straightforward method of mosquito control that eliminates them from our yards and lives?

Pyrethroids to the rescue!

You may have seen the promotions, either stuffed in your mailbox, on signs in neighbors yards, or possibly through a knock at your door.

No need to worry, it’s Mosquito Bob, or was it Ray, or Charlie to the rescue. A simple monthly visit and a cloud of pyrethroid spray and all your insect problems will be a distant memory.

Alas, experience teaches us that the miracle claims made by many advertisers take great liberties with the truth.

Anything for a buck

It’s difficult to find anything good to say about the companies that spray for mosquitos in residential neighborhoods.

Pest control companies know the dangers associated with their services. Yet they play upon our fears of potential mosquito and tick born illnesses, highlight the joys of hanging out in your backyard, and make little to no mention of the damage to the environment their “miracle sprays” cause.

Mosquito control services typically use chemicals like bifenthrin, cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, and permethrin which are all synthetic variations of pyrethrins, known as pyrethroids.

Pyrethroids are broad spectrum insecticides, meaning they do not discriminate between the insects we value and the insects we dislike.

Pyrethroids can persist in the environment for several months harming any insect that comes into contact with them. Monthly application of the chemicals only furthers the damage.

Bees, butterflies, caterpillars, dragonflies, earthworms, fireflies, ladybugs, spiders and thousands of other insect species die when they come in contact with pyrethroids.

The chemicals are also extremely toxic to aquatic organisms, especially fish and crustaceans. We might also mention that cats lack the ability to breakdown pyrethroids which can cause toxic levels of build-up in their systems.

Mosquito control companies will tell you the chemicals they use are safe. That they are derived from pretty little chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethrins are indeed found in chrysanthemum flowers, however, pyrethroids merely mimic the characteristics of pyrethrins, they are synthetic creations designed in a laboratory to be far more toxic and longer-lasting than their natural counterparts.

When prodded, they will swear they carefully avoid spraying flowering plants that attract pollinators. However, bees and other pollinators are often found on clover plants down amongst the grass. Many butterfly species lay their eggs on a variety of plants and trees. Many insects land on a wide variety of plants for the purpose of rest and ironically, safety. Wind can also cause pesticide drift, coating far more than targeted areas of the garden. Additionally, rain causes chemical runoff into creeks, streams, and waterways impacting fish and crustaceans.

Mosquito control services are highly profitable as recurring visits and monthly charges are often required. Numerous companies have popped up in the past 10 years and many lawn care companies have added it to their repertoire. Large scale marketing campaigns have increased the popularity of the service, as most of their customers are seemingly oblivious to the damage the service is causing to the environment.

Many farms use pyrethroids extensively. The EPA recommends farms clear flowering weeds in close proximity to their fields to reduce pollinator deaths due to drift from sprays. A drive through the country will quickly show that some farms follow the EPA recommendation, while others do not.

Insect and bird populations have been declining drastically in recent years. The situation is complex, but pesticides play a considerable role. With fewer insects there is less food available to insect eating birds. Many of the insects birds do eat contain measurable levels of pesticides.

We ask you to please consider not using insecticides of any kind on your property.

Alternatives and Recommendations

Fans

Alfredo Salkeld of the Buddha Bee Apiary recommends purchasing several electric floor fans for those evenings outdoors. “Wind may interfere with the mosquito’s ability to fly, but a fan on medium to high can also help disperse and dilute the carbon dioxide your body expels. And carbon dioxide attracts mosquitos.”

Native Plants and water

Planting water loving native plants like Button bushes, Cardinal flowers, and Swamp Milkweed not only attract pollinators but reduces the amount of standing water on your property.

Maintenance
  • Clean your gutters and other areas where water collects.
  • Use water circulating pumps in small ponds and water features.
  • Keep your lawn mowed to discourage ticks from moving into your yard.
BTI

Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis is a bacterium that naturally occurs in soil and is only toxic to mosquito and black fly larvae. It can be purchased as granules that can be sprinkled in areas that are frequently damp. It is a far more targeted and effective way of controlling mosquitoes. The best known brand goes by the name “Mosquito Bits“.

Action

Consider contacting your state senator or assembly member to recommend legislation banning mosquito fogging and spraying in residential areas. (If you’re not in Webster, find your senator or assembly member.)

Currently the only active legislation in New York State related to Mosquito spraying is targeted to prohibiting aerial and ground application of malathion and certain pyrethroid-based insecticides near schools, day cares, and parks.

If you use a landscape or lawn care company, consider using a company that does not promote the use of mosquito fogs and sprays or encourage them to discontinue offering mosquito control services.

Create a pollinator garden in your yard. It will not only provide a lot of beauty, but it will be helping butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

Stay tuned

This is not a one off post. This is important and we will continue to advocate for bees, butterflies, fireflies, and other important insects.

Further reading:

State of the Birds, Cornell University 2025
What You Need to Know Before Spraying for Mosquitoes, Mizejewski and Weber 2025
A Systematic Review of Insect Decline and Discovery, Hailay and Gebremariam 2024
Spring into Action Against Mosquitoes, Aaron Anderson 2023
Nearly 3 Billion Birds Gone, Cornell Labs 2019
Effects of mosquito sprays on humans, pets, and wildlife, Colin Purrington 2018