It’s not quite spring, but if you’re like us, you’re probably looking forward to the warmer weather so you can start pollinator-spotting again. Have you ever wondered where wild pollinators go in winter? They just seem to disappear!

Insects are cold-blooded, so in tropical regions pollinators can be active year-round. But in most other climates with obvious ‘seasons’, wild pollinators often hibernate or go through periods of dormancy. Some of the more cold-tolerant pollinators, especially flies, may still be active on warmer days though, so keep an eye out for them, particularly if you live in milder coastal regions. I was lucky enough to see these two different syrphid flies (or hoverflies) foraging together on a dandelion patch in Albury, NSW on June 21, the afternoon of the winter solstice!

If you want to know a little bit more about what wild pollinators and other insects do in winter, check out this blog post originally published on Manu Saunders’ ecology blog.

And read our previous post on how to garden for wild pollinators all year round.