How will butterflies and bees find the prairie strips? Will they die when they get to the strips? Will treated seed kill the wildlife in the strips?
Butterflies and bees are attracted to the colors and scents of flowers within the strips. Flying above the crop pollinators will be able to locate the strips using these cues.
Will field pesticides kill the butterflies? Many people wonder if butterflies and other pollinators will die when they get to the strips, and they wonder about the impact of treated seed on species in the strips. These questions stem from research documenting the negative effects on pollinators of a class of insecticides commonly known as neonicotinoids that are used as seed treatments on both corn and soybean. These insecticides are moved inside the plant tissues and even into the pollen and nectar on which pollinators feed. At this time there is insufficient research exploring the levels of this type of contamination in the strips, but we are working toward answering these questions with current research.