Beehave: Creating a Haven for Bees

Beehave: Creating a Haven for Bees

Bees are essential to all of us.  They are vital in pollinating food crops and flowers, they make honey, and they are an integral part of many ecosystems.  Without bees we couldn’t imagine where we’d all be.

Bees are important, but conditions in many places aren’t always the best for them.  Things like urbanization and pesticide use can negatively impact them and can have far reaching effects.

Although a lot of what it takes to help bees are things that would need to happen on a large scale, there are some simple things that you can do in your own landscapes to create a haven for bees.

Limit Pesticide Use

One thing you can do is to eliminate or at least limit pesticide use in your landscape.  Many pesticides can be harmful to bees and they can have other negative effects.  There are alternatives to pesticides and less harmful types.  Sometimes the best solution to pests you might see in your garden would be to do nothing.  For example, if you see aphids on your plants, sometimes if you just wait, beneficial insects will come and in a short while you won’t have a problem.

Plant Bee-Friendly Plants

There are a number of plants that bees like to visit.  What can grow in your area will depend on where you live, but some options include marigolds, mint, lantanas, and rosemary.  When looking for plants, you can check the label or check online to see if it is something bees like.

A great idea is to plant wildflowers.  They can be very low maintenance and easy to grow and they can look wonderful.

When planting, consider plants that are native to your area and that won’t require additional fertilizer or pesticides to grow and stay healthy.  Think about planting a variety of plants and increasing the biodiversity in your landscape.

Reclaim Paved Areas

As part of planting, you might also consider reclaiming paved areas.  These could be places with concrete, stone, or brick that you might not use much and that could be replaced with plants.  If reclaiming a paved area isn’t an option, consider using pots with plants that attract bees as another option.

Do Not Disturb

One step you can take to help create a haven for bees is not to disturb them.  If you see bees, let them be, so to speak.  Don’t spray chemicals on them and avoid things that might harm them, like using a leaf blower around them.  If you have a hive that might be in a place that isn’t ideal, call a professional to have the bees relocated rather than doing something yourself that might harm them.

Bees are wonderful.  They do so much and are vital to our lives.  By taking a few steps to create a haven for bees in your landscape, you could do your part to help our flying little friends.