EcoBlog
The latest thinking on ecological landscapes. Useful tips to improve our environment
Honey Bee Losses for Winter 2013/2014
According to the latest survey results from the Bee Informed Partnership, honey bees fared better this past winter than the previous winter. Commercial beekeepers reported losing 23.2% of their colonies over the winter of 2013/2014 versus a loss of 30.5% for the previous winter.
This volume of loss is still not acceptable, however, with beekeepers in this survey reporting 19% as an acceptable rate of loss. Many of the hobbyist beekeepers I speak to say that even 19% is not sustainable.
Here are some simple ways you can help both honey bees and native bees, many of which are also in trouble:
– Plant a wide diversity of native plants timed to bloom throughout the growing season. Honey bees can forage on many native plants, which in turn boost your ecosystem.
– Select plants with different types of flower shapes and sizes. Bees also come in many shapes and sizes, and different bee species have different tongue lengths. Not all bees can access the same flowers.
– Emphasize flower colors that bees can see: white, purple, blue, violet, yellow. Bees see differently than we do, on a UV spectrum, and cannot see most red flowers.
– Create a “floral target” for bees, either by massing the same plant, or by repeating that plant throughout your landscape (think “meadow” or meadow-like garden).
– Skip the “secret sauce” – pesticides, which can be devastating to bees. And keep in mind that “organic” pesticides are not benign.
Download a list of bee-friendly native perennials you can include in your landscape
Check the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plant database to see which specific species are native to your region: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/
For the complete report on honey bee losses from the Bee Informed Partnership: http://beeinformed.org/2014/05/colony-loss-2013-2014/
Bee Supportive in Your Landscape! from Kim Eierman at EcoBeneficial!
Photo: Honey Bee on Echinacea
Photo credit: M/Flickr
www.flickr.com/photos/diamondflamer/6089782211/in/photolist-ah3CB4-2bQ5mq-b4e1g6-ah8Jev-ah8J62-ah6qxd-ah3D9p-ah6qWw-8Ckqot-bnpqTU-bAjigr-bAjk36-bnprT1-bnprsN-wZoTA-6x1F5Y-a2tNUR-a2wGou-2dLgBX-a2wGkm
More from EcoBlog
Lessons from the Smokies: Biodiversity in the Home Landscape
During a recent trip to the annual Great Smoky Mountain Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, I was overwhelmed by the incredible biodiversity of native plants and animals, interwoven in their natural habitat in the Smoky Mountains, making up one of the healthiest and most beautiful ecosystems I have ever encountered. Instead of…
EcoBeneficial Resolution for the New Year – Connect the Ecological Dots
The new year brings more challenges than ever to our environment. Fires, floods, development of pristine natural areas, species loss, pollinator decline – on and on it goes. Sometimes it can feel a bit paralyzing as we ask ourselves – “what can we do, how can we really make a…
Native Viburnums and Cross-Pollination – What the Nursery Isn’t Telling You
Ever wonder why those terrific native viburnums you planted are not producing fruit? You are not alone. It’s one of the frustrations of gardening ecologically in a world where “cross pollination” is rarely mentioned at local nurseries or garden centers (and forget about the big box stores!). Some plants, although…