Skip to Main Content

From “eww” to “cool”: Why you should welcome slugs, bats and wasps

Imagine: darting wasps, crawling slugs, soaring bats and swarming flies.

The opening scene to a horror film?

Probably more than one, however, aside from popular culture’s general aversion to these species, this group of animals has something else in common. They are all pollinators.

Bees are what most people imagine when they think of pollination, Brock Harpur, assistant entomology professor, said, and they do provide the majority of pollination services. But there are many other species also doing the labor of pollination that often go unappreciated or are even targeted as pests.

The mirror orchid
The mirror orchid

“Many insects, arthropods, invertebrates and mammals pollinate,” Harpur said. “Bats are probably the best-known mammalian examples, but wasps, flies, beetles and slugs also pollinate. It works very similar to how bees pollinate-the animal is attracted to certain flowers in some way and pollen is transferred onto its body and then, eventually, to another plant. One of my favorite examples of this in action is the mirror orchid. Its flower looks and smells like a female wasp. It is so convincing that male wasps will try to mate with it and, in so doing, they transfer pollen between flowers.”

While many people are committed to eliminating their yards of creepy crawlers and winged creatures, it is better environmental practice to cultivate an inviting setting, or at least not actively harm existing populations.

Many insects, arthropods, invertebrates and mammals pollinate. Bats are probably the best-known mammalian examples, but wasps, flies, beetles and slugs also pollinate."

“There are many things you can do to promote pollinators in your yard,” Harpur said. “Provide them with space in your garden, use less mulch and provide some open soil, plant a diversity of native plants, leave your leaves on the ground in the fall and don't trim down all of your standing stems.”

This advice goes for cities as well in terms of maintaining their parks and other green spaces. Pollinators, after all, are what help keep those spaces green.

So, while it may go against natural instinct, and potential city ordinances, having a messy yard and garden can go a long way to supporting native pollinators, Harpur gives this advice to aid pollinators’ work:

“Allow homeowners to treat their properties like the ecosystems they are,” Harpur said. “Let them plant a variety of native plants, and don’t fine them for ‘unkempt’ lawns, especially if they are acting as pollinator patches.”

Featured Stories

Leo Koenigsfeld
Leo Koenigsfeld - Graduate Ag Research Spotlight

Leo Koenigsfeld grew up in a small town in central Missouri with the unlikely name of...

Read More
Bill and CD Young at a table in front of greenery in the Spirit and Elephant restaurant.
Purdue hosts new plant-based product development competition

A generous gift from the Young Family will drive food innovation at Purdue University over the...

Read More
Austin Grant with colleagues during his summer internship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
FNR Field Report: Austin Grant

Austin Grant, a senior majoring in aquatic sciences with a minor in military science and...

Read More
Kingsly Ambrose in front of the solar system model in Discovery Park on campus.
ABE professor recognized for advancing ag safety and health

Kingsly Ambrose, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, was...

Read More
Rice inspects insects in the lab
When passions connect: insect biology meets history

Her love for insects started early. “From the moment I could walk, I was outside looking at...

Read More
Student wearing a white T-shirt works on a laptop covered in Purdue stickers while sitting at a table with a notebook open. The background shows other students studying in a large, well-lit space.
2025–26 Animal Sciences scholarship recipients announced

Purdue Animal Sciences awarded $72,200 in scholarships to students for the 2025–26 school...

Read More
To Top