Cheap bee garden – how to create one?
The problem of declining bee populations is well-known. However, it is less clear why this is happening and what the consequences of a reduction in the number of pollinators are. Their number in Poland at the height of the season is estimated to be around 110 billion, but it is shocking that we are losing up to 105 every second!
Causes of bee extinction and their consequences
There are many causes, and it is a very complex phenomenon. There are several main reasons for the decline in the bee population. Diseases caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites are natural causes. Like all living organisms, bees have defense mechanisms that give them good resistance to pathogenic infections. One of the biggest threats to pollinator health are chemical insecticides in industrial agriculture, mainly pesticides from the noecotinoid group. They greatly reduce the resistance of bees to pathogens and can also cause extensive changes in their nervous system, paralysis and, consequently, death. Insects are responsible for pollinating more than 80% of plants. It is thanks to them that they reproduce and bear fruit. Without them, life on earth would be impossible, which is why it is so important not to lose them at any cost.
Benefits of the presence of bees in the garden
The biggest earner of insect bees is the already mentioned pollination of plants, thanks to which the increase in yields is up to 50%. Your contribution to better development and increased yields is many times the cost of your honey. In addition, pollination greatly improves crop quality, increases seed weight, increases germination energy, and is responsible for increasing the sugar and vitamin content of the fruit. As you can see, the benefits of your garden are many, so the question remains: how is it?
How do you create a bee garden?
There are a few simple rules for creating a safe haven for bees in the garden. The idea is to give you protection, access to food and minimize exposure to hazardous chemicals that affect your health.
Here is a quick guide as to the rules to follow.
- To attract bees to your garden, you need to plant as many honey plants as possible. This includes not only flowering herbaceous plants, but also trees (such as horse chestnuts, linden or plum) and shrubs (such as barberry, raspberry or rose).
- Different kinds of bees show up in gardens at different times: some in the spring or summer season, others at other times. So let’s plant flowering plants at different times.
- Let’s leave the bees free access to water – even a small fountain or pond would be a good solution that would also give the site a charm.
- The use of chemical insecticides should be limited as much as possible – look for only safe plant protection products for bees in garden stores, which preferably contain only natural plant components.
- Replace mineral fertilizers with all-natural ones, such as biohumus or regular compost.
- You can also leave them in an inconspicuous place to protect the bees. A fragment of a wild meadow or build cabins from empty dry plant stems or reeds.
- It’s also worth leaving arranged Junk Wood beams, which the bees can do away with on their own.
As you can see, each of us can easily do our part to protect the teams of insects that have such a great influence on the proper development of life on earth. With just a few simple changes, you can protect your bees and take advantage of the many wonderful benefits you have to offer.
10 tips on how to attract bees for personal action if you’re not busy beekeeping
Beekeeping is the latest fashion trend. So it’s no surprise that most of the books that are sold in the “personal farming” category online are beekeeping guides. If you already keep chickens in your backyard, you should have no trouble improving your farm. However, not everyone is willing to attract a special suit and engage in a bee colony. It also requires a monetary investment to buy hives and other necessary equipment, as well as time to disturb the bees and collect honey.
Beekeeping is not an activity that you can get over yourself without knowledge and experience. Anything can happen – the queen dies, colonies can starve in winter, bears often raid hives in search of honey, and so on.
It is an undeniable fact that the bee population is now in danger. It is hard to overestimate their importance, for without bees we could literally lose a lot of food – if trees and flowers are not pollinated, fruits and vegetables will not appear. Overuse of pesticides, lawn and lawn treatments, the use of herbicides and other toxic substances are all causing irreparable damage not only to bees, but also to the entire environment. Due to the death of bee colonies, the honeybee population has been reduced by more than half in the past 25 years.
Wild Bees
As it turns out, wild bees are much more resilient than domestic bees, and they can be found anywhere – there are more than 4,000 species of bees worldwide.
So if you have a desire to get involved in saving bees and often want to see you in your personal bee conspiracy, so why not look into local wild bees? Sure, they won’t produce honey for you (that’s a little frustrating), but you’ll be pollinating plants.
Also, domestic bees can be aggressive if they defend their hives. Wild bees fly a hive nearby that they have to defend, so they are more flexible – less likely to be stung. Keep in mind, however, that a bee is more likely to sting you if you step on it or get it in your clothing or hair.
Wild bees pollinate plants much more efficiently than domestic bees. They are also hardy, so they can also work on cold and rainy days. To attract bees to your site, you will need a special bee house, which you can order from an online store. Or you can simply attach ordinary wide drink straws or tubular sticks, such as bamboo sticks, and hang them in the garden for the bees to lay their eggs there.
There are quite a few simple and low-key methods of attracting native wild bees to your garden. As a bonus for keeping a population of these bees in the area, you get a good harvest and create cheap habitat for all bees, including those kept by your neighbors. Here are my helpful tips for not only attracting wild bees, but getting them to settle in your garden. Trust me, you definitely won’t need a beekeeper!
Top 10 tips for placing and keeping bees on your personal plot
Grow wildflowers
It makes sense that wild bees would land on wild flowers. Plant them not only in flowerbeds, but also near the garden and in other places throughout their location. This way, they offer the bees a large selection-a veritable smorgasbord.
Pay attention to which plants bees prefer and plant more of them.
Don’t use pesticides
Pesticides are not only bad for plants, they are bad for your health. In addition to pests, they also kill beneficial insects, including pollutants such as bees and butterflies. If you do need pesticides, use them at the base of the roots and not near flowers where bees gather. And remember that even so-called natural pesticides are also harmful to bees. So weigh the advantages and disadvantages before using these pest control products.
Do not use herbicides
Herbicides you use in your lawn or garden to control weeds can also be harmful to bees. Try to use natural, non-toxic methods of weed control instead of using commonly used products.
A simple hand weeding is the easiest and freeest way to remove weeds, and it’s perfectly safe for bees and the environment.
Install a bee house
As mentioned above, wild bees are great garden helpers, and they can not only be housed but also left in their habitat. Set up a bee house in a shady spot near the garden and wait for the bees to find it. Once you see that some of the holes in the tubes are covered with a hardened substance, this means that the bees have laid eggs in them.
Make sure the bees have access to water
If you have a bird drinker in your garden, put a rock there so the bees can get down on it and drink. Alternatively, a small saucer with a few rocks or clean water dripping from the faucet can be a source of water.
Choose such plants so that the garden has three seasons of the year.
Experienced beekeepers recommend plants that attract bees not only in summer, but also in other seasons.
Your job is to offer bees nectar and pollen throughout the year, especially in the spring and fall.
Here are some seasonal plants that bees prefer:
Spring – lilac, lavender, sage, verbena, wisteria; Summer – mint, cosmea, zucchini, pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, ru eh-usen, sage turf; Fall – fuchsia, sunflower, legend, verbena. Care. Care. Care. Some areas with mulch, plants and litter
Up to 70% of all wild bees nest in the ground.
They dig underground and build their homes there. Such a dam of earth somewhat resembles an anthill. So make sure it’s not a bee building a home out of the ground. But even if it is an ant, leave it alone – although they are unwanted guests in the kitchen or during a picnic, ants are actually very useful for aerating the soil and can pollinate plants like bees!
Add spicy herbs to the flowers in your garden
Thyme, dill, basil, oregano and rosemary not only enhance the flavor of your food, but can also be an added decoration to your garden. In addition, bees are very fond of them. But keep in mind that some herbs can taste bitter if picked after flowering. So harvest early and let the grasses bloom.
Allow some weeds to grow in your lawns
Wild bees are great pollinators for clover. They are also very fond of dandelions. So think of weeds not as “weeds,” but as a great source of pollen and nectar for bees!
Increase the area of open spaces or pastures where wildflowers and weeds can grow.
You will make life much easier for yourself and your lawnmower if you reduce the lawn area and increase the number of open spaces. Allow weeds and wildflowers to occupy the entire area except for the small, traditional yard outside your home. Pollinators will be attracted to wildflowers, and birds will be attracted to other insects that are sure to show up in a manicured area. Wild turkeys, rabbits and deer will show up looking for tasty food.
And one more helpful tip about weeds from experienced beekeepers.
Many weeds are very useful in the wild. Their foliage is used as food by many species of butterflies and caterpillars, their flowers provide pollen and nectar, and wild bees die off over the winter to build their nests. So when you’re cleaning your homestead in the fall, don’t be overzealous – leave some plants for the next offspring of bees!
