Consider the location of your pots or flowering plants within your garden microclimate and choose the most favorable position if possible. While I may not see them often, these telltale clues prove they’re there!īees prefer foraging for food in a sheltered position away from strong winds, heavy rain, and strong shade. In my garden, Leaf Cutter Bees chew little circles in my arrowroot and rose leaves to build their nests. Learn about the local species in your area and what nesting needs they have. Making a micro garden for them can be as simple as planting a container with flowers with a water bath next to it and an insect hotel. Insect Hotels – Build It, And They Will ComeĮven if you only have a balcony or small courtyard, try to dedicate an area to attract bees and other pollinators. ![]() Solitary bees prefer a single ‘room’ where they raise their young and rest. They often live on their own or in small social groups. Solitary bees don’t live in hive homes with large families like honey bees. ![]() Solitary bees also fly very quickly so they can pollinate more plants!.This is important for seed-set in plants that are not self-pollinating and improves the quality of new generations in self-fertile plants. They fly longer distances, increasing the probability of cross-pollination. While the boys are not as efficient in short distance pollinating, they do perform a useful role.Sound familiar, ladies? That’s right they stop to mate with lady bees on the way! As male bees head towards the next ‘flower pub’ for another meal (pollen) or drink (nectar), they often get distracted. According to fascinating research*, female solitary bees tend to visit more flowers in less time and collect more pollen than males.What’s new? However, the female solitary bees are far more efficient pollinators than males. Both the males and females share the foraging, unlike honey bees where only the women worker bees do ALL the food gathering and preparation. ![]() While honey bees wet their pollen with saliva as they collect it to ensure they can carry a heavy load, solitary bees tend to spill a lot of dry pollen as they fly from flower to flower. They tend to stay in the same crop feeding rather than flying between different crops, increasing the chance of successful pollination.They are incredibly efficient pollinators because: There are around 19,500+ bee species on the planet, and of those, about 90% are solitary bees. Bees with Benefits The garden needs pollinators!ĭespite all the attention that honey bees get concerning their role in pollinating crops, it is the native, solitary, or pollen bees that do the lion’s share of the work. So, how can you support bee health and survival and prevent these problems? One simple step is to create a bee-friendly habitat garden to attract honey bees and local native bees. Many urban gardeners are noticing a decline in bee populations in their backyards and balconies, producing lower yields and reduced quality, size, and flavor of the food grown. These hard-working insects are suffering from many pressures globally including chemical herbicides, viruses, mites, genetically modified crops, and harsh weather conditions. Bees help fertilize up to 90% of the earth’s major food crops, including what you likely put on your plate every day.
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