No, it’s not the sting. Gardeners know that most bees are gentle creatures and, if not bothered, don’t tend to sting. The real fear is the loss of our bees…our essential pollinators. A few years ago, this story was big news, but while the media has moved on to other trendy topics, bee colony collapse continues and is getting worse. A new EPA study shows that pesticides are a huge part of the problem; this year, the extremely cold winter we had has made the situation dire. What can we do to help the bees? First, eliminate or reduce use of pesticides. Then plant a garden with nectar-rich food that will bloom from spring through summer. As a bonus, you’ll be attracting butterflies – also important pollinators that are dwindling in numbers. Provide a shallow water source and a flat rock for butterflies to sun their wings.
They gotta live somewhere!
Leave a small patch of bare ground where bees can establish their underground nests. If you find a hive where you don’t want it, find someone who will relocate it (search online for “bee rescue” and your city). Or attract mason bees, which don’t form hives. They live in holes, so you can purchase a cute mason bee house or simply drill holes in a block of wood.
Bees don’t see the red end of the color spectrum so good flower colors for bees and butterflies are white, yellow, blue, pink and purple. For spring blooming, plant Wild Lilac, Western and Eastern Redbud, Flowering Quince, Cranesbill , Lavender, Catmint, Rhododendron, Rose and Salvia. To feed our winged friends all summer, plant Yarrow, Hyssop, Anemone, New York Aster, Bluebeard , Tickseed, Foxglove, Coneflower, Potentilla, Bee Balm , Russian Sage, Black Eyed Susan, Pincushion Flower, Stonecrop, Spirea and Verbena. Butterflies especially will flock to the aptly named Butterfly Bush, and Monarchs are attracted to Milkweed.
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