- Choose a variety of plants that flower at different
times so there's always a snack available for when bees
are out and about. (Rule: native plants attract native bees and
exotic plants attract honeybees.)
- Native flowers help feed your bees and are
uniquely adapted to your region. Try to use flowers to which local
bees are especially adapted. You can also visit the websites of
regional botanic gardens and plant nurseries for more info on
bee-friendly plants.
- Plant flowers with single petals. Flowers with
a single row of petals, rather than flowers with more than one row,
are more attractive to bees. Single-petaled flowers have more
pollen than other flowers, so they provide a little more food for
hungry honey bees. It's also easier for bees to reach the pollen
when there is only one row of petals to crawl across.
- Ideally, when you are creating a bee garden, you should
position your bee plants in groups. Swathes of
butterfly and bee attracting plants are easier for bees to locate.
Importantly, it also conserves vital energy stores, meaning more
nectar and pollen can be returned to the colony.
- Avoid using pesticides: Many pesticides - even
organic ones - are toxic to bees and other pollinators. Use
cultural techniques to control pests, such as crop rotation and row
covers, as well as nontoxic controls, such as trapping and
hand-picking. If you choose to use pesticides, use them only as a
last resort. Choose targeted pesticides, such as Bt for
caterpillars (keep in mind this kills butterfly larvae as well). To
protect pollinators, do not use pesticides on open blossoms or when
bees or other pollinators are present.
- Consider backyard beekeeping: You don't have
to live in a rural area to keep bees. Keeping a beehive or two in
the backyard used to be a common practice, and it's becoming
popular again. Learn more: Beekeeping:
A Hobby With Sweet Rewards
- Plant flowering vegetable and fruit plants.
Berries, melons, squash, cucumbers, and fruit trees, especially
cherry trees, all produce fragrant flowers and fruit that are
attractive to bees . Bees are beneficial to these plants, so
providing them in your garden will be a treat for you both.
- Not all bees sting! Most people assume (incorrectly) that all
bees sting. The truth is, bees are mostly focused on foraging for
nectar, not trying to cause you harm. Bumblebees and other native
types of bees are generally passive and are only provoked to sting
by human aggression (swinging, swatting etc.). Of course, if you do
have an allergy to bee stings, play it safe; avoid getting too
close to bees and keep an EpiPen nearby at all times.
