Giving back to the bees

[journey11]

Here's a pretty long list of things the bees like (trees and flowers/herbs) that I found on my beek association's webpage.

 

[AMKuska]

I like that, hoodat.

The best ever plant I've found for drawing bees of every size is Saint John's Wort. I know I've mentioned it before, but I've counted over a dozen different kinds of bees and bee-like insects feeding among the sunny yellow flowers. And, although they are also liked by Japanese Beetles, I've never gotten stung knocking JBs out of the St. John's Wort and into a water bucket.

Japanese beetles sting? I used to catch them when I was a girl cause they looked so pretty. Never got stung

 

[hoodat]

That's the great thing about kailaan. You WANT it to bolt. You harvest leaves and flower stalks together just as the first flowers open. There are almost no stringy fibers in the stalks except in hot weather. If you leave some foliage at the base of the plant it will produce another flush of flower stalks. t's a cut and come again plant. It does best in long cool temps without heavy frost. That makes it an early Spring and late Fall crop for those areas with cold Winters.

 

[Carol Dee]

Here's a pretty long list of things the bees like (trees and flowers/herbs) that I found on my beek association's webpage.

Journey hanks for the great link. We are trying to redo the yard to attract more bees an help those we have.

 

[thistlebloom]

Here's a pretty long list of things the bees like (trees and flowers/herbs) that I found on my beek association's webpage.

Hey! I found me on that list! I guess bees love me cuz I'm so sa-weet!

One other thing that bees work like crazy around here is the Joe Pye.

 

[Smart Red]

Japanese beetles sting? I used to catch them when I was a girl cause they looked so pretty. Never got stung

No, no, no!

The hundreds of bees, thousands of bees, millions and billions and trillions of bees gathering nectar among the St. John's Wort have never stung me when I stuck my hand in to knock JB's into the soapy water pail, even when I hit bees or bees fly into my hand. Never had a violent reaction from the bees in, maybe 10 years.

By the way, Japanese Beetles no longer look "so pretty". The only good JB is a dead JB unless the chickens can eat them out of the water still alive ... or they are in Japan!

 

[seedcorn]

Jap beetles another great import from some idiot! Along with Asian beetles.

We now have 2 garden areas for butterflies and bees. Trying to get courage to buy hive or 2.

 

[journey11]

Jap beetles another great import from some idiot! Along with Asian beetles.

We now have 2 garden areas for butterflies and bees. Trying to get courage to buy hive or 2.

Find your local beekeepers club and go to a few meetings. They will have training sessions starting about March where you can tag along with the pros. It's a pretty daunting thing at first, bringing home a couple of hives. It's great if you can "get your feet wet" first. Reading a lot of books on bees helps too.

 

[journey11]

No, no, no!

The hundreds of bees, thousands of bees, millions and billions and trillions of bees gathering nectar among the St. John's Wort have never stung me when I stuck my hand in to knock JB's into the soapy water pail, even when I hit bees or bees fly into my hand. Never had a violent reaction from the bees in, maybe 10 years.

By the way, Japanese Beetles no longer look "so pretty". The only good JB is a dead JB unless the chickens can eat them out of the water still alive ... or they are in Japan!

St. John's Wort sounds like a good trap plant then!

 

[AMKuska]

Ooooh I see. I've never been stung by a bee either, but I don't mess around with them either.