Tips for Attracting Bees

Bees play an important role in our ecosystem as prolific pollinators. In recent years, their populations have begun dwindling significantly due to a number factors but mainly attributed to industrial agriculture practices and wide-spread use of aerial pesticides. This is part of a complex challenge that we and future generations are facing but we can do some little things that collectively add up to big benefits for the bees and the plants they pollinate.

Few suggestions:

1. Let your dandelions and clover grow. They are both good for bees and provide other benefits to the soil and local habitat. I'm aware that we are socially programmed to eradicate "weeds" but it's a good time to reevaluate our judgment on what life-forms are good and bad.

2. Easy on the pesticides.

3. Grow plants that bees like. (comprehensive list below)

4. Build bee houses. We just built two mason bee homes very easily (DIY instructions below). Mason bees are indigenous to North America, mild-mannered and reluctant to sting, and are good pollinators. I modeled the design based off of our garden mentor, Jason Aker's, video cast as well as further online research.

How to Build a Mason Bee House - Basic Guidelines:

Use untreated wood large enough to drill 3-5" deep holes using a 5/16" drill-bit. Space the holes approximately 3/4" apart.

You may construct any design that suits you. I rubbed a little vegetable oil on the wood to help preserve it but that's optional. Place it at least a few feet off the ground and facing the east. The holes will need cleaned out or plugged during the winter. I went Jason's route and drilled the holes through my block and screwed on a back plate to make the maintenance easier down the road.

Click image to view them in place.

Plants to Attract Bees

(This is list is from gardening.about.com and was adapted from the fact sheet produced by Matthew Shepherd, Pollinator Conservation Program, Xerces Society April 2004)