Bees are facing greater pressures than ever before, but there are things that you can do to help your local bee community! By making these simple changes or additions to your landscape, you can create an ongoing impact.
You’ve probably heard that putting out a dish of water with rocks and marbles is a good way to help quench thirsty bees in the summer, but did you know that bees (particularly honey bees) need a source of water year round? They also prefer the water to be slightly dirty -think mud, moss, sticks, and decaying leaves. Bees can draw nutrients from the organic material in the water and it also provides them with a safe landing pad. Terracotta bird baths make excellent bee watering stations! They are attractive and provide a nice wide dish to add organic materials to. Once bees have found your offering, they will continue to visit!
Bees need a diverse diet just like humans do. Some of the best plants for bees include borage, lavender, chicory, phacelia, and oregano. Even a culinary herb garden will benefit the bees in your neighborhood. The more forage you provide, the more bees you will see!
You don’t have to become a full-on beekeeper to help the bees. Native bees need our help, too! One of the main issues facing our native bee populations is habitat loss. While well-manicured yards are beautiful, they may not be the most inviting to bees that are looking for a place to nest. Bumble bees especially struggle with finding appropriate homes. I receive calls every year about bumble bees that have moved into birdhouses. You can encourage bumble bees to nest in your yard by providing a brush/yard compost pile for them to burrow in. Many native bees nest in the ground which means that they need bare soil available for nesting sites. Bare soil is also beneficial for mason bees, who in the springtime will use the mud to help build out their nesting tubes. Mason bees and a range of other tube nesting bees are some of the easiest pollinators to attract to your yard and be kept in attractive, simple to maintain bee houses.
Learning about the bees in your area gives you the opportunity to teach others. I have found that one of the most powerful tools to help save the bees is to teach about bees! When people learn about the biology and habits of bees, they view them through a different lens. When people approach me with a concern about a particular bee they have in their yards, I encourage curious observation. More often than not, these concerned folks learn to live more harmoniously with the bees and insects in their lives.
Gardening for pollinators and attracting bees to your yard is a fun and enriching experience. The more forage you provide, the greater your bee traffic! If you plant it, they will come.
Mandy Shaw is a beekeeper from the Pacific Northwest. She has been working with bees and serving the beekeeping community since 2016. You can learn more about her love for bees and the art of beekeeping on her podcast, Beekeeper Confidential.
Bees are facing greater pressures than ever before, but there are things that you can do to help your local bee community! By making these simple changes or additions to your landscape, you can create an ongoing impact.
You’ve probably heard that putting out a dish of water with rocks and marbles is a good way to help quench thirsty bees in the summer, but did you know that bees (particularly honey bees) need a source of water year round? They also prefer the water to be slightly dirty -think mud, moss, sticks, and decaying leaves. Bees can draw nutrients from the organic material in the water and it also provides them with a safe landing pad. Terracotta bird baths make excellent bee watering stations! They are attractive and provide a nice wide dish to add organic materials to. Once bees have found your offering, they will continue to visit!
Bees need a diverse diet just like humans do. Some of the best plants for bees include borage, lavender, chicory, phacelia, and oregano. Even a culinary herb garden will benefit the bees in your neighborhood. The more forage you provide, the more bees you will see!
You don’t have to become a full-on beekeeper to help the bees. Native bees need our help, too! One of the main issues facing our native bee populations is habitat loss. While well-manicured yards are beautiful, they may not be the most inviting to bees that are looking for a place to nest. Bumble bees especially struggle with finding appropriate homes. I receive calls every year about bumble bees that have moved into birdhouses. You can encourage bumble bees to nest in your yard by providing a brush/yard compost pile for them to burrow in. Many native bees nest in the ground which means that they need bare soil available for nesting sites. Bare soil is also beneficial for mason bees, who in the springtime will use the mud to help build out their nestingtubes. Mason bees and a range of other tube nesting bees are some of the easiest pollinators to attract to your yard and be kept in attractive, simple to maintain bee houses.
Learning about the bees in your area gives you the opportunity to teach others. I have found that one of the most powerful tools to help save the bees is to teach about bees! When people learn about the biology and habits of bees, they view them through a different lens. When people approach me with a concern about a particular bee they have in their yards, I encourage curious observation. More often than not, these concerned folks learn to live more harmoniously with the bees and insects in their lives.
Gardening for pollinators and attracting bees to your yard is a fun and enriching experience. The more forage you provide, the greater your bee traffic! If you plant it, they will come.
Mandy Shaw is a beekeeper from the Pacific Northwest. She has been working with bees and serving the beekeeping community since 2016. You can learn more about her love for bees and the art of beekeeping on her podcast, Beekeeper Confidential.
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