Plants & Pollination
Bumblebees: The Big Buzz Pollinator
Most of us are familiar with bumblebees, primarily due to their size, bright yellow and black colors, and loud buzzing. This calm, passive bee, of which there are about 50 species in the United States, is one of the largest native bees, with the queen being about twice the size of her workers.
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Keeping Both Mason Bees and Honey Bees
Many people, especially those with fruit trees to pollinate, want to keep both mason bees and honey bees in the same yard. But is that good for the bees? Will they harm each other or compete for resources? How close is too close?
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Should I Split if I See Queen Cells on Three Frames?
If I have queen cells on three different frames, and I know they are going to swarm. This is a new colony from a nuc. Could I make a split from this situation?
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Which Bees are Attracted to Douglas Fir Sap?
On a frame that has emerged queen cells and capped queen cells, is it most likely that the capped cell contents have been killed and of no use in trying to raise a queen in a nuc? Are these cells eventually torn down by the workers?
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Exploring the Mason Bee Life Cycle
Often mistaken for flies, mason bees are some of the earliest spring fliers. But the timing of the mason bee life cycle varies with each individual species — and we in North America have an enormous variety.
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Tips for Planting Flowers That Attract Bees
We often overlook the fact that the number of bees (and other pollinators) are declining. By planting flowers that attract bees, we help the bees survive.
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Will Spraying Dandelions Harm Bees?
My son is thinking of spraying 2,4-D for the dandelions — how safe is it for the bees? All the bees died this winter.
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Why Are There Flower Particles on my Bottom Board?
When we see flower parts stuck to bees, it’s usually the pollenia of either milkweeds or orchids. The pollenia are pollen-filled sacks that stick to the pollinator like glue and eventually fall off on another flower. Honey bees are most apt to engage with milkweed pollenia, and sometimes they have so many long and stringy orange sacks hanging from their legs they can barely fly.
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What’s Bothering My Mason Bees?
The parasitic wasp genus Monodontomerus shows up just as the mason bee season is coming to a close. The wasps are very tiny, perhaps fruit fly size, and fly with a nervous, side-to-side pattern that makes them look guilty.
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65 Pollinator-Friendly Plants Bees Love
Add to Favorites Beekeepers are investing a lot of time and money seeking a solution to the bee population decline, but in the meantime, gardeners can be the frontline troops in …
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