planting for bees
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Planting for Bees. Patti Koranda ISU Beekeeping Club. Bee + Flower = Honey. Bee Friendly Gardens. Planting guideline Bee Friendly Water sources Plant suggestion. Planting Guidelines. Sunny location preferred Protected from the wind Several types of flowers - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Planting for BeesPatti KorandaISU Beekeeping Club
Bee + Flower = Honey
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 that country area
Plant suggestions-learn about your natives Native plants are 4 times more attractive than exotic
flowers Herbs, annual, perennials, heirloom can provide good
foraging Flowers and bees help each other Allow plants to flower Dead heading plants may increase blooms Avoid hybrids with double blooms-less nectar or pollen Plants may be host to caterpillars Could be called ‘weeds’ Avoid invasive plants Some may 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 time They appreciate a garden with varieties of
flowers and long season of blooms Perennials may 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 The have different tongue lengths
Some flowers are flat, daisy like flowers Some flowers are tubular blossoms They are attracted to bright colors, blue,
white, purple They 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
Pollination Facts 75% of plants are pollinated by animals 1/3 of out food depends on
pollinator/plant interaction Many plants cannot reproduce without
the help of pollinators Landing Platforms helpful
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
Anatomy of a Flower
Invasive Plantshttp://www.invasive.org/species/list.cfm?id=152
Invasive plants are ones that out compete native plants to the native 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 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 difficult time for native bees Urban areas typically has few early
blooming annuals Some flourish is 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 plants Pumpkins Pepper Beans Tomatoes Eggplant Potatoes Basil Cosmos Lavender Rosemary Marigolds Zinnia
Native Late Summer-Fall Bloomers Native Perennials
Aster Goldenrod Sunflowers
‘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://
urbanext.illinois.edu/wildflowers/directory.cfm