Bees give a big hand so that your garden becomes more and more beautiful. Having bees buzzing around your garden, acting as pollinators, gives life to the garden, making flowers and other plants lush. You can attract bees by planting wildflowers, fruit plants, and vegetables, letting your yard grow a little overgrown, and providing water and shelter for the bees. Read on to understand how to attract bees to your yard.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Planting Flowers that Attract Bees
Step 1. Plant some flowers typical of your area
Bees evolved with wildflowers, and bees living in your area will respond better to the flowers they "grew up with", so to speak. What are the typical flowers of your area? If you are unsure, go to a nursery, and ask them to give you a mix of wildflowers that grow in your area, or do some research on the internet before ordering seeds. If you don't want your garden to be completely "wild", choose at least a few species that attract bees to add to the species you already have.
- The more wildflowers you plant, the more bees will be attracted to them, the better your garden will be. Planting wildflowers will improve your garden in several ways!
- Make it a goal to plant a wide variety of flowers, with different shapes and designs, not just one or two types. The more diverse your garden is, the more it will be able to support different species of bees, as well as other beneficial insects and pets.
Step 2. Plant flowers with a single row of petals
Flowers with a single row of petals, compared to those with multiple rows, are more attractive to bees. Flowers with a single row of petals have more pollen than other flowers so they provide more food for hungry bees. It is also easier for bees to reach pollen if there is only one row of petals to cross. Here are some flowers particularly loved by bees:
- Aster
- Calliopsis
- Clover
- Cosmea
- Crocus
- Dahlia
- Digital
- Geranium
- Alcea
- Hyacinth
- Calendula
- Poppy
- Pink
- Snowdrop
- Sunflower
- Zinnia
Step 3. Plant yellow, white, blue and purple flowers
These colors attract bees more than pink, orange, and red. This does not mean that your garden has to be exclusively yellow, blue and purple, but having a fair number of flowers with these shades of color will ensure that the bees remain in your garden.
Step 4. Plant sequentially blooming flowers
If all the flowers bloom simultaneously, the bees will party for a short time, but run out of food before the end of summer. Plant a variety of flowers that bloom throughout the spring, summer and into the fall to keep the bees in your neighborhood, sated and happy.
Step 5. Plant flowering vegetables and fruit trees
Berries, melons, pumpkins, cucumbers and fruit trees, especially cherry trees, are all varieties that produce fragrant flowers and fruit that attract bees. Bees are also beneficial to these plants, which will produce food for both you and them. Bees are crazy about the following fruits and vegetables:
- Blackberries
- Cantaloupe melon
- Cucumbers
- Cucurbits
- Cherry trees
- Peppers
- Pumpkins
- Zucchini
- Strawberries
- Watermelons
Step 6. Plant herbs, which attract bees
If you have some space, put in some herbs, a great idea for attracting bees. Mint plants attract certain types of bees, as well as sage, rosemary, thyme, monarde, and other aromatic herbs. Here is a list of herbs that bees love:
- Monarde
- Borage
- Catnip
- Coriander
- Fennel
- Lavender
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Sage
- thyme
Part 2 of 2: Making the Garden Become a Bee Refuge
Step 1. Let it get a little wild
If the grass is cut too low, if every stick has been taken away, and there is no space available with some mud, the bees will not be able to find a suitable environment, however many wildflowers they can plant. Bees are wild insects, which need a wild habitat to thrive. If you want them to establish themselves in your garden, do the following:
- Leave some space planted in lawn.
- Let the wild clover grow in a space without cutting it.
- Leave a small pile of brushwood with a few leaves. Bees will use it to make their home.
- Leave spaces of land that turn to mud when it rains. Some bees live underground and will appreciate that you have left them some mud, which they need.
Step 2. Build a bee tray
Bees are unable to use bird trays, as they are unable to land in deep water. They need an island to land on so they can then cross the water to the edge and drink or get wet without drowning. To make a bee tray, take a large, flat plate or tray and line up flat stones along the edges. Pour some water over the stones and into the bottom of the dish. Place it in your garden, among the plants that most attract bees. The bees will then be able to land on the stones and descend into the water.
Step 3. Prepare a bee shelter
Rotten greenery and twigs are excellent shelters for bees. An ever-increasing number of gardeners have begun setting up hives and other types of bee shelters to provide them with spots where they can build their nests. If you are serious about attracting bees to your yard and helping them thrive, this should be something you should seriously consider. You can start building a small "house" for bees using the following method:
- Take a small wooden box and paint it a bright color, preferably white, yellow, blue or purple. Use organic paint so the bees don't get sick.
- Place the hatching cells in the box, upright. You can buy them at a garden store, or make them by rolling brown cardboard around a pencil, squeezing them at one end, holding them together with duct tape, and leaving the other end open. Fill the box with these tubes up to the top, so that the open ends are free, allowing the bees to enter.
- Turn the cassette to the side. Make sure you have used enough hoses so they don't slip out when you move the cassette. Hang it on a tree or pole in a place that is sheltered from the rain.
- Choose an area of the land nearby and dig a little so that the bees can find mud and clay to use to build the nest.
Step 4. Stop using pesticides of any kind
Bees are sensitive to pesticides and other chemicals used in gardens. Make it your goal to have an organic, pesticide-free garden and use natural remedies that don't use chemicals to fight unwanted pets. If you really have to use plant products, use them only after sunset, when pollinating insects are less active, while avoiding those chemicals that are bad for bees.
Integrated pest management combines different pest control methods to reduce the need for pesticides. Research these methods to find the right system for your garden
Step 5. Plant flowering trees to attract bees
The trees provide large amounts of food for the bees when they are in full bloom and are also a beautiful addition to any landscape. Some trees you might plant include (in North America):
- American lime tree
- Magnolia grandiflora
- Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood)
- Cercis canadensis (Redbud)
- Malus (Crabapple)
- Robinia pseudoacacia (Locust)
- Amelanchier (Serviceberry)
- Liriodendron (Tulip Tree)
Advice
- If you like the idea of bees living in your garden, create nesting areas. The type of nest depends on the species of bees that visit your garden: bumblebees, bees that nest in the soil, bees that nest in wood or in cavities.
- Plants that attract bees often also attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
- Find a beekeeper and ask if he would like his bees to feed on the flowers in your garden.
- Bees like puddles; create a few, but change the water regularly to prevent it from stagnating and watch out for mosquito larvae: you don't want to create a problem you didn't have before!
- Instead of insecticides, use insects or other small animals that feed on pests, such as spiders and ladybugs; you can also eliminate with your hands the insects you notice, or resort to natural insecticides extracted from plants.
Warnings
- Avoid putting sugar water, syrups or powdered sugar for the bees to feed on. Bees need healthy food sources, not refined sweets.
- If anyone in your family has a bee sting allergy, you need to be extremely careful. You may be thinking of doing nothing to attract bees, or having the allergy sufferer take extra precautions, such as wearing shoes, not approaching those bushes or plants that attract bees, and carrying an auto-injector of bees. epinephrine (all this is feasible provided the person behaves responsibly.
- Do not harass the bees in their nest.
- When you have a significant number of bees on your property, be more careful about the movements you make, especially when it comes to walking barefoot or strolling among flowers.
