Bees in the GardenPros and Cons
Patti Koranda &Carl WenningISU Beekeeping Club
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Pros
Products
Pollination
Joy of Beekeeping
Bee + Flower = Honey
Honey bees…produce honey &
beeswax
gather pollen & propolis
What foods do you like?
Oranges? Almonds? Squash? Beans? Blueberries? Melons? Cucumbers?
Lemon/Lime? Strawberries? Apples? Beans? Cherries? Tomatoes?
Pollination Facts 75% of plants are pollinated by animals 1/3 of our food depends on
pollinator/plant interaction Many plants cannot reproduce without
the help of pollinators Landing platforms helpful
Honey Bees are Our Friends
While honey bees will sting, they do so only to protect their hives and themselves.
Beekeepers who know what they are doing rarely get stung by bees even when opening a hive! Some beekeepers even “grow” bee beards!
Cons Bees do protect their
hive or themselves Stings hurt But it hurts the bee
more; they will die Approach a hive in
protection suit Bees do take some work Become knowledgeable Your are their caretaker
Who stung you? Could be the wasp.Which one is a honey bee?
Beekeepers
Beekeepers keep honeybees in bee hives; a bee hive gives the bees a place to live.
Bee Friendly GardensPlanting guidelineBee FriendlyWater sourcesPlant suggestion
Planting Guidelines Sunny location preferred Protected from the wind Several types of flowers Blooming continuously early spring to late
fall Native bees adapted best to native plants Guideline are good for other insects,
butterflies and birds too Urban area may be better than country
area
Plant suggestions-learn about your natives
Native plants are 4 times more attractive than exotic flowers
Herbs, annual, perennials, and heirlooms can provide good foraging
Flowers and bees help each other Allow plants to flower Dead heading plants might increase blooms Avoid hybrids with double blooms-less nectar or pollen Plants can be host to caterpillars Could be called ‘weeds’ Avoid invasive plants Some might be trees or shrubs
Seasonal Plan to have something is bloom all season
long – early spring, summer, until late fall Plant at least 3 different types of flowers
per season Bees and butterflies fly at different times They appreciate a garden with varieties of
flowers and long season of blooms Perennials might have a delay in a new
garden before they start blooming Annuals help to fill in bloom times before
perennials become established
Plant different types of flowers Plant a wide variety of flowers Plant in clumps rather than single plant The family of bees range in size:
Minute sweat bees to robust carpenter bees They have different tongue lengths
Some flowers are flat, daisy-like flowers Some flowers are tubular blossoms Bees are attracted to bright colors, blue,
white, purple Bees see in ultraviolet colors
What Bees See We see in Red, Blue, Yellow Bees see UV, Blue, Green (think color
blind) Bees do not see Red
Image of UV Flowers
Anatomy of a Flower
Nectar Nectar is a sweet liquid
made in special glands called nectaries that are found on flowering plants
Nectaries are most often found by the base of a flower’s petals
Nectar is the reward given to insects and small animals
Nectar is the base ingredient of honey
Invasive Plantshttp://www.invasive.org/species/list.cfm?id=152
Invasive plants are ones that out compete native plants to the natives’ detriment Thistle – bull, Canada, milk Garlic mustard Queen Anne lace Chicory Oxeye Daisy Purple Loosestrife* Yellow sweet clover Multiflora rose Purple crown vetch Japanese barberry Honeysuckle-Trumpet, Japanese Oriental bittersweet
Bee Friendly A well run ecological garden attracts birds and
beneficial insects that help control pests Avoid insecticides, they are non selective If you must spray, do so when bees are not
present, late in the day, be selective Fungicides are also dangerous BT-bacillus thuringiensis Neonicotinoids
An insecticidal coating on seeds to prevent insect damage
Strongly suspected of being systemic (it stays inside the plant cells, in the blooms)
Water Source Bees need water
Hydration-digestion, metabolism, brood, queen Temperature and humidity regulation
Bees can drown Floating Landing platform needed
Stick, log, piece of wood, water plants, cork Ponds Streams Puddles Dew Garden Water Features (fountains) Can add hive water bottle Pools are not good
Spring Plants Spring a difficult time for native bees Urban areas typically have few early
blooming annuals Some flourish in areas that become
shady as trees leaf out Weather inconsistent
Native Early Spring Bloomers Native Perennials
Columbine Crocus-Prairie Violets Bluebells Virginia waterleaf Wild geranium Wild Indigo
“Weeds” Dandelions
Native Early Spring Bloomers cont. Trees and shrubs
Fruit trees-apple peach, cherry, crabapple Dogwood – trees and shrubs Chokecherry Lilac Red Bud Raspberry Rose Serviceberry Strawberry Viburnum Willow Wild Plum Black locust
Many of these are good for birds too
Native Summer Bloomers Native Perennials
Beebalm Black-eyed Susan Blazing Star Clover Compass plant Cup Plant Mint Phlox Purple Cone flower Spiderwort Coreopsis (tickseed) Yarrow
Native ‘Weeds’ Butterfly Weed Milkweed
Additional Summer Bloomers(non native)
Squash plantsPumpkinsPepperBeansTomatoesEggplantPotatoes
BasilSageCosmosLavenderRosemaryMarigoldsZinnia
Native Late Summer-Fall Bloomers
Native Perennials Aster Goldenrod Black Eyed Susan Hyssop Wild Bergamot
‘Weeds’ Joe-pye weed Ironweed
Credits Helpful sites
Ecological Gardening.net Kelly Allsup
Horticulture Extension Educator, U of I extension http://web.extension.illinois.edu
http://beespotter.mste.illinois.edu http://beespotter.org/topics/beegarden/ http://urbanext.illinois.edu/wildflowers/directory.cf
m
http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/act-today-2/plant-a-bee-garden/
www.wildones.org