Say "pollinators" and most people think "honeybees." But watch your flowers closely and you'll see a lot more than bees staying busy in the garden. Bees, flies, moths, butterflies, wasps, birds and bats are all known to gather nectar and pollen at various types of flowers.

Lured to flowers with color, scent and form, animals perform plants' legwork: carrying pollen from one plant to the next, mixing up the gene pool and boosting plant species' vigor and adaptability. This mutually beneficial relationship between plants and animals is important ecologically and economically; without pollinators, most food crops would fail. For most homeowners, pollinators' entertaining activities, bright and muted colors, calming sounds and beauty are good enough reasons to take a few simple steps to assist their survival.

At least three-quarters of all plants grown for human consumption are pollinated by insects. Vegetables and fruit are the most obvious of these, but other examples include cotton, grown for fiber, and alfalfa, grown for animal feed. The European honeybee, in addition to pollinating crops, produces honey. Imported bumblebees may be the second most valued crop pollinator, although many native insects visit crop plants too.

Most insects are not very selective about pollen and nectar sources. If their body or body parts can reach the flower parts, those flowers are likely included in their rounds. Plants, on the other hand, will only accept pollen from compatible sources.

When pollen lands on a compatible flower's stigma, a pathway develops to deliver the pollen's DNA to the flower ovaries. Once there, the ovaries are fertilized and seeds grow. Fertile seeds direct fruit development in most plants; poor pollination results in misshapen or weak fruit. If you've ever seen a lopsided cucumber or melon, cut it open and observe the seeds. Seeds of the fat side are large and full, seeds on the shrunken side are small and empty; evidence of poor pollination.

Like every natural resource, insects have their limitations. Recent declines in pollinator populations caused agricultural alarm, and declines in native insect populations are assumed but poorly documented. With increasing destruction of pollinator habitat and ongoing use and misuse of pesticides, the future of insect pollinators is precarious at best.

Homeowners can help conserve pollinators with a few simple strategies. Make your garden a haven for pollinators by growing a diverse assortment of plants that flower at various times throughout the season. Include several landscape plants that are native to your local area. Avoid using pesticides or use "softer" pesticides with fewer off-target impacts. Provide other habitat needs like water and nesting sites to attract and support pollinator species.

Maggie Wolf is a professional horticulture in the Salt Lake City area. E-mail her at gardenutahconsult

@gmail.com.