11 Ways to Celebrate World Bee Day and Support Bee Populations
Discover 11 impactful ways to support bee populations and create a buzzworthy environment in your outdoor space. From planting bee-friendly gardens to providing homes for native bees and educating children about these vital pollinators, there are numerous ways to make a difference. Dive into our guide and learn how you can contribute to the well-being of bees while nurturing a sustainable ecosystem right in your own backyard.
1) Create bee-friendly outdoor spaces: Bees face habitat and food source shortages, but a bee garden offers sanctuary. Plant diverse flowers rich in pollen and nectar, varying in shape, size, color, and bloom times to support different bee species. You don't need much space—bee-friendly gardens thrive in yards, window boxes, pots, and mixed gardens.
2) Provide a home for native bees - native bee homes can help bee populations by providing shelter from predators and weather, a place to lay eggs, and a home during pollination
3) Plant trees with bees in mind: Trees are vital nectar sources for bees, offering abundant blossoms during bloom. They also provide crucial habitats, with leaves and resin for nesting and natural wood cavities for shelter
4) Set up a bee bath outdoors: Bees need hydration too! Provide a shallow bird bath or bowl filled with clean water. Arrange pebbles inside for bees to land on and sip without drowning
5) Shop Responsibility - Supporting your local growers and supporting bees go hand in hand. When you can, buy your fruits and vegetables (and honey) from local farmers or from local farmers markets.
6) When bees swarm, it's a natural event usually seen in late spring or early summer as a colony outgrows its home. If you spot a cluster of bees on a tree, sign, or light pole, it's best to leave them be. Swarming bees are non-aggressive and won't sting if you stay 20 feet away or more. The safest approach is to call a local beekeeper for safe removal without harming the colony
7) Avoid pesticides and herbicides in your garden! Synthetic chemicals harm bees, disrupting their sensitive systems. A bee-friendly garden promotes a sustainable ecosystem that supports beneficial populations without harmful chemicals
8) Skip weeding your garden & lawn - Plants like the dandelion, wild violet, henbit, and chickweed, though often considered weeds, provide a great foundation for the many pollinators like bees
9) Leave steams in your garden through fall and winter - delay pruning until spring - Around 30% of bees make their homes in holes inside trees, logs, or hollow plant stems. These hollow stems serve as valuable habitats for bees, providing cozy shelters where they can overwinter. While a hollow stem may not seem like prime real estate to us, it's a crucial habitat for mason and other bees. To support these cavity-nesting bees, it's important not to cut back hollow stems too soon. Wait until spring to trim dead flower stalks, leaving stems around 8 to 24 inches high
10) Educate children about bees - Teaching children about bees fosters compassion and appreciation for these vital creatures, nurturing their connection to the natural world
11) Keep Honey Bees - With annual overwintering losses ranging from 40-50% in many regions, there's a always a need for more honey bees. Hosting bees on your property not only benefits the environment but also offers hours of enjoyment in watching them thrive. In abundant years, you may even enjoy the sweet reward of your own delicious honey! Reach out to your local beekeeping association for insights on beekeeping many have free or inexpensive classes and some like ours will even check in on your hives to make sure they are thriving.