These stripy little critters are mankind’s best friends, pollinating at least a third of our food crops, and playing a vital role in many ecosystems.
As much as we need bees, they depend on us too.
Here are six ways to be a hero to bees.
A bunch of flowers
Any bee friendly garden starts with plenty of flowers for pollen and nectar. Consider planting blue, white and yellow flowers that are easy to land on, or have tubular blooms with nectar inside. Plants with flower spikes let bees move easily from flower to flower.
You and bee
Bees like a lot of the same plants we do. Fill your garden with useful plants like Lavender, Borage, Marigolds, Sunflowers, and culinary herbs like Coriander, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Basil. If you have a lawn, let it grow a bit longer – bees enjoy the wildflowers.
Nurture natives
Try locally eco-sourced natives – they’ll thrive in your area, and perennial species often bloom early or late while introduced species are devoid of flowers. Try New Zealand Jasmine, Harakeke, Pohutukawa, M-anuka, Rewarewa and Lemonwood.
Give them a drink
Bees can’t swim, so water sources in your garden should have shallow, sloping sides, or a stone in the water they can stand on to drink. Bees gravitate towards moving water, as do butterflies.
Walk away from spray
Avoid toxic pesticides – particularly neonicotinoids – and try to minimise your use of systemic herbicides like glyphosate. If you must spray, follow usage and safety instructions carefully; do it late in the evening and avoid while plants are flowering.
Eat local honey
Honeybees depend on beekeepers to keep them safe from disease, predators and parasites like varroa mites. By eating locally harvested honeys, you’re helping beekeepers protect their bees and our environment.
ECOSTORE, 1 Scotland Street, Freemans Bay, T: 09 360 8477, www.ecostore.co.nz
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