It’s World Bee Day! Let’s take a moment to appreciate the vital role of bees and other pollinator insects for our eco-systems.
Caring for bees is part of the fight against world hunger. Bees allow many plants, including food crops, to reproduce. This contributes directly to food security and preserves biodiversity.
Bees are actually very gentle creatures that are focused on flying from flower to flower to find pollen and nectar. Less than half of bee species are capable of stinging and only do so to defend themselves.
Help bees by installing bee blocks, maintaining flowering meadows, cutting back on mowing, using fewer pesticides, buying honey from local beekeepers, and, of course, planting pollinator plants to attract them.
Diversity is the key for attracting bees to your garden, advises Beekeeper Charlotte from carolinahoneybees.com.
She says, “Every blooming flowers that produces nectar or pollen counts. If you have room a variety of flowers for bees will promote better bee health… It’s not just food for honey bees, other pollinators will benefit as well.”
Her bee-friendly recommendations include sunflowers, Rudbeckia Goldstrum (a variety of coneflower), horsemint, zinnias, daisies, asters, and echinacea.
