What to Do
Episode: #4 14/04/07
Presenter: Kim Syrus
One of the most important insects in the garden is bees. They buzz through the yard, from one plant to another, doing the greatest of all jobs; pollinating plants. As a result we get many different fruit and vegetables to eat. It is estimated that bees are responsible for around eighty percent of all plant pollinations. It is a very good reason to have bees in the garden.
To encourage bees into your garden you need to provide a source of food - flowers, and plenty of them. Some of the best bloomers are the hardiest self seeding performers like Borage (Borage officinalis), Wild Rocket (Sisymbrium officinale) and Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). Of course Clover (Trifolium rubens), whether in the lawn or garden, drives bees wild. The pinky white blooms of the Abelia (Abelia grandiflora) and the bright sticky plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) are also great bee attractors over the year. If the flower is there, the bee will find it.
When it comes to flower colour, bees are most attracted to blue, purple, white and yellow which would explain a lot, as they can’t see red.
Most flowers secrete sweet sugary nectar which attracts bees to the bloom. While gathering this nectar, the pollen from the flower sticks to the bee and as it visits each bloom in turn, this pollen is then transferred from one flower to another, staying and helping to pollinate the plant.
In a single trip, a worker bee will visit between 50 and 100 flowers and return to the hive carrying over one ½ her weight in pollen and nectar.
Bees find many places to set up their hives. Decayed tree limbs, provide just the right site for a local swarm to set up home and begin their nectar search.
Specially designed hives can be set up as a permanent home for the bees. Each of these hives has one queen bee, a number of male Drones that mate with the queen and thousands and thousands of female worker bees that collect the pollen and importantly, produce the honey.
Next time you see bees buzzing in your yard, be thankful for the great work they do and encourage them to stay as they might just be responsible for your new crop of crisp cucumbers or juicy nectarines.
Hint:
A dish of water with a few rocks placed in the garden will make it easier for the bees gather water to take back and cool down their hive. It also helps keeps them away from the swimming pool.
Hint:
Bees are very sensitive to pesticides so if you need to spray your plants for insects like aphids and white fly, then the best time is the late afternoon or evening when the bees have finished flying around.
Presenter: Kim Syrus
One of the most important insects in the garden is bees. They buzz through the yard, from one plant to another, doing the greatest of all jobs; pollinating plants. As a result we get many different fruit and vegetables to eat. It is estimated that bees are responsible for around eighty percent of all plant pollinations. It is a very good reason to have bees in the garden.
To encourage bees into your garden you need to provide a source of food - flowers, and plenty of them. Some of the best bloomers are the hardiest self seeding performers like Borage (Borage officinalis), Wild Rocket (Sisymbrium officinale) and Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). Of course Clover (Trifolium rubens), whether in the lawn or garden, drives bees wild. The pinky white blooms of the Abelia (Abelia grandiflora) and the bright sticky plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) are also great bee attractors over the year. If the flower is there, the bee will find it.
When it comes to flower colour, bees are most attracted to blue, purple, white and yellow which would explain a lot, as they can’t see red.
Most flowers secrete sweet sugary nectar which attracts bees to the bloom. While gathering this nectar, the pollen from the flower sticks to the bee and as it visits each bloom in turn, this pollen is then transferred from one flower to another, staying and helping to pollinate the plant.
In a single trip, a worker bee will visit between 50 and 100 flowers and return to the hive carrying over one ½ her weight in pollen and nectar.
Bees find many places to set up their hives. Decayed tree limbs, provide just the right site for a local swarm to set up home and begin their nectar search.
Specially designed hives can be set up as a permanent home for the bees. Each of these hives has one queen bee, a number of male Drones that mate with the queen and thousands and thousands of female worker bees that collect the pollen and importantly, produce the honey.
Next time you see bees buzzing in your yard, be thankful for the great work they do and encourage them to stay as they might just be responsible for your new crop of crisp cucumbers or juicy nectarines.
Hint:
A dish of water with a few rocks placed in the garden will make it easier for the bees gather water to take back and cool down their hive. It also helps keeps them away from the swimming pool.
Hint:
Bees are very sensitive to pesticides so if you need to spray your plants for insects like aphids and white fly, then the best time is the late afternoon or evening when the bees have finished flying around.
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