How to Attract Honey Bees
Honey bees are an excellent ecological and aesthetic addition to your nature-friendly yard. With new introduced diseases taking a toll on bees, they'll need all the help they can get from environmentally minded gardeners.
[edit] Steps
- Plant bee-friendly flowers in your yard. If the flowers come in a variety of colors, focus on pinks and reds, which bees prefer. Do research or ask a local nursery worker for suggestions and plants.
- Plant bee-friendly ground cover such as clover, thyme or creeping mint. Plus, you don't have to mow it!
- Landscape with fruit trees , particularly apples and cherries. Bees also like eucalyptus trees.
- Plant bee-friendly vegetables in your garden, such as pumpkin and zucchini.
- Maintain open space as bees naturally prefer meadow habitats.
- Provide shelter such as rotting vegetation and stumps for the bees to create a hive and shelter for the winter.
[edit] Tips
- Plants which attract bees often attract hummingbirds and butterflies as well.
- Find a local beekeeper and see if he or she would like to have their bees forage on your property.
- Instead of using pesticides use natural pest eaters such as spiders and ladybugs.
[edit] Warnings
- Do not harass bees at their nest.
- If you or a family member has a bee allergy, be extremely careful. Consider not making any efforts to attract bees.
- Once there are more bees present on your property, be more careful about your movements, especially walking barefoot or walking among the flowers.
