Note to organic gardeners. befriend a bee

[Hattie the Hen]

:bee :bee

Here in the UK we also have big problems with our bee population but in my garden I seem to have more than I have seen for years. I have always grown a lot of herbs & old-fashioned varieties of cottage garden flowers along with my old climbing roses & my garden literally "HUMS" with scent. I noticed that this year I am getting a wonderful rate of pollination on my fruit trees -- I even have masses of small fruits on my apricot tree -- a first for me. I think this was due to a very late Spring & no gales or heavy rain for weeks in April.

I also think that leaving certain areas of the garden untidy & full of weeds helps a lot -- this is not popular here as the Brits like order & regimented lines of plants with lots of bare earth in between. I hate that look.....!! I like the relaxed sprawling "WILD"look.....!!

It is interesting that my "BARE EARTH" gardening neighbours are the ones who have commenting on the lack of bees this year............. ......the :bee :bee :bee are all in my garden !!!!!


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[wifezilla]

I have bees everywhere. A few even look like honey bees. RIght now the pear and apple trees are keeping them busy. When my herbs bloom they will be back for that plus I have dutch clover in spots in the yard. Then in fall my Japanese Spirea bushes are THE local bee hot spot. They love the blue flowers.

Variety it what bees need...things that bloom at different times of the year.

I am working on some mason bee houses just to give them some extra housing options.

I don't think I have been stung in over 20 years...and that time I stepped on the poor thing.

I am such a dork I talk to them when I am in the garden.

"Hello ladies. How is work going today?"

 

[hoodat]

Many seed companies also have mixes for sale thet are attractive to bees and butterflies. You won't normally see bees listed as being attracted because too many people fear them but anything a butterfly can use a bee also can.

Bees can really become part of the family. I tended hives when I was younger but I haven't had any in a while. The city has ordinances against keeping bees in the city limits ( I suppose because some people go into shock from bee stings.)
Where I grew up it was an old custom that when a bee keeper died someone had to "Tell the bees" and the hives were draped in mourning.

 

[vfem]

I have bees everywhere. A few even look like honey bees. RIght now the pear and apple trees are keeping them busy. When my herbs bloom they will be back for that plus I have dutch clover in spots in the yard. Then in fall my Japanese Spirea bushes are THE local bee hot spot. They love the blue flowers.

Variety it what bees need...things that bloom at different times of the year.

I am working on some mason bee houses just to give them some extra housing options.

I don't think I have been stung in over 20 years...and that time I stepped on the poor thing.

I am such a dork I talk to them when I am in the garden.

"Hello ladies. How is work going today?"

Too funny, my husband talks to the bees out in the garden and on his fruit trees. My neighbor, my husband's friend as of lately, owns some honey bees and when we see them my husband acts like he knows them, and they've met before. Thanks them for the hard work.... too funny!

(Especially when he doesn't know I'm there hearing him.)

 

[bid]

I thought everyone talked to the bees...I know I do. I was talking to the lady bugs in the pea patch this morning, thanking them for showing up and encouraging them to get busy on the aphids! Eat up and lay some eggs girls!

 

[2ndtimearound]

I know it's a terrible situation with the honeybees, just tragic. And so hard on the farmers too!

Luckily, where I live, we have a couple dens of great bumblebees! They are nice, and don't attack us, and spend their days roaming the yard, gardens and fields and pollinate everything in sight! Great bees.

It was even cute this spring when they came out and there were some big fat adults and some little bitty round babies all out pollinating! Cute as a button!

But I know we're lucky and everywhere people are trying to attract bees or trying to avoid losses in their hives. Good luck to everyone!

 

[journey11]

Where I grew up it was an old custom that when a bee keeper died someone had to "Tell the bees" and the hives were draped in mourning.

That's very touching, I like that.

Especially since it would be hard to find someone to fill his/her shoes. The bees need looked after. Yeah, the family could always sell off the hives...but it makes me sad when there's no one to carry on the torch. The man I got my bees from is up in years and is having a terrible time trying to get his grandson to help him with his bees. He really wants him to take them over. I think he only gave me mine out of desperation (they were in his neighbor's yard and he couldn't get to them). Several of his hives died out while he was out of commission with a broken hip.

There are many things of real value I hope to pass on to my children as an heritage and beekeeping is one of them.

We just need more people to take an interest in beekeeping, to pass it on to the younger generation. There's a young fella trying to get the Boy Scouts to reinstate the beekeeping merit badge. Click here if you want to sign his petition... I signed it sometime ago. Maybe some of you guys would want to too.

 

[hoodat]

I know it's a terrible situation with the honeybees, just tragic. And so hard on the farmers too!

Luckily, where I live, we have a couple dens of great bumblebees! They are nice, and don't attack us, and spend their days roaming the yard, gardens and fields and pollinate everything in sight! Great bees.

It was even cute this spring when they came out and there were some big fat adults and some little bitty round babies all out pollinating! Cute as a button!

But I know we're lucky and everywhere people are trying to attract bees or trying to avoid losses in their hives. Good luck to everyone!

Noirmally bumblers are nice friendly guys but if you've ever accidentally plowed into one of their underground hives you'll find they have a mean side also.
If you're plowing with a horse they will go after the horse first giving you a chance to run for it but then you have to mend all the fences the horse ran through dragging the plow behid him.

 

[lesa]

Thanks for the link, Journey-signed it. I talk to the bees and the plants. I accidentally pulled a plant up the other day, and I said "sorry." Sometimes I wonder about myself!!

 

[simple life]

Its nice to see so many beekeepers here. I agree about wanting pollination over honey. I do all foundationless frames in my hives and I use the crush and strain method so I never have a frame get reused and I never have to worry about chemicals in my wax.
Everything I plant is bee friendly, fortunately they are usually the most beautiful of flowers.

I just read in a beekeeping journal that there was an old time beekeeper and he passed away while reading in his chair.
His wife called 911 and they came and brought him into the ambulance.
The ambulance quickly filled up with honeybees, they were alot of them and they were everywhere, to the point that the EMT's could not or would not get into the ambulance, they say the ambulance just filled up with bees out of nowhere.
They waited a while and the bees dispersed.
They say it was clear to them that the bees came to say goodbye to their old beekeeper.