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