Which practice is NOT beneficial to pollinators?

• A. Diverse flowering margins.
• B. Hedgerows.
• C. Increased pesticide exposure during bloom.
• D. Habitat provision.

Answer: (C)

Pollinators rely on safe access to nectar and pollen and on places to nest and rest between foraging trips. Providing diverse flowering margins ensures a steady, season-long food supply for a variety of pollinator species, supporting their health and numbers. Hedgerows offer shelter, nesting sites, and quiet corridors that help pollinators move through the landscape and persist in fragmented habitats. When habitat and forage are available, pollinator populations tend to thrive and be more resilient to environmental stresses. The practice that is not beneficial is exposing pollinators to pesticides during bloom; chemicals applied while flowers are blooming can be toxic to bees and other pollinators, causing acute kills or sublethal effects like disorientation, reduced foraging efficiency, impaired reproduction, or colony decline. To protect pollinators, pesticides should be avoided or minimized during bloom, and integrated pest management strategies should be used—timing applications away from flowering and selecting lower-toxicity, targeted products.