For more information on the construction of nests for wood-nesting, cavity-nesting and ground-nesting bees, check out this fact sheet from the Xerces Society. The addition of nesting sites for native bees to your garden will intensify your beespotting experience beyond the average gardener. These nests can be easily replicated with a few supplies and tools. That's because many native bees make nests in old pieces of wood, cavities or even in the ground. While most people are not equipped to raise honeybees in their backyard, creating nesting habitats for native bees is surprisingly simple. If you have ever watched a bee when it visits a flower, you may have noticed that it is often too busy to even notice you! Foraging bees are happy and curious, moving from one flower to the next, in search of nectar and pollen. Keep in mind that stinging is a defensive behavior used for defending the nest against predators. These traits can include color, flower shape and size, the amount of nectar produced and the way pollen is presented.Īt first, you may not like the idea of attracting stinging insects into the garden. The suite of traits that are used by a flower to attract a specific group of animals as pollinators is called a pollination syndrome. When selecting flowers for your bee garden, it is important to recognize that flowers that employ melittophily, or bee pollination, often share particular traits that make them more attractive to bees. By opting for native plants, your garden will be attractive to adult bees that are foraging for nectar and pollen, but will also increase native habitat in your area for other wildlife, like caterpillars and birds. The climate in your region, defined by the USDA plant hardiness zone map, will determine which flowers can survive and the timing of their flowering in your garden.Įxotic plants that produce lots of nectar, like butterfly bush, are great for attracting bees and butterflies into your yard, but they often cannot support the entire life cycle of these insects. Water the soil if you're sowing during a dry period.Select a variety flowers that are most attractive to bees and will bloom at different times throughout the year for a steady supply of nectar and pollen. After sowing, lightly rake the surface and firm down with the end of a rake or your feet.You can mix the seeds with sand first, to aid even sowing. Use 3 quarters of a teaspoon of seeds per square metre. Remove the topsoil, or dig the soil over to a depth of at least 15 cm to reveal the less fertile soil below. Alternatively, use a strimmer or lawnmower to cut the grass as short as possible, and then rake the ground to reveal patches of bare soil. You can also sow wildflower seeds in spring. The ideal time to do this is September or October because this mimics the natural cycle when flowers typically drop their seeds. Here are a few simple steps to get wildflowers blooming in your garden. The variety creates a charming cottage garden look and offers plenty of foraging opportunities for visiting birds, bees and butterflies. Pick up wildflower seed mixes at your local garden centre, or by ordering a Bee Saver Kit from us. Even a small front yard benefits from a diverse mixed planting that includes flowering bulbs, annuals, herbs and perennials. Wildflowers such as cornflowers, cowslips, and the common poppy are all brilliant for bees and other wildlife.
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