With both Seattle and Puyallup becoming designated official Bee Cities, residential property owners throughout the region may become more interested in helping honeybees thrive. They can do this with the help of a Landscaper in Silverdale WA by designing their property to attract wild bees. Another important strategy is to avoid spraying herbicides or pesticides on the land. Even targeted applications can negatively affect beneficial insects like bees and butterflies.
Colony Collapse Disorder
Years ago, it was common to see wild honeybees buzzing about in yards, gardens, and vacant lots. Nobody would have been surprised at the sight of 10 or 20 of these little critters landing on flowers in a garden. Populations of wild and domestic bees have dropped dramatically over time due to a problem scientists have called colony collapse disorder.
Beekeepers don’t find piles of dead bees, as a rule. Instead, the bees simply disappear after they are released from a beekeeper’s hive. With the absence of wild bees so evident, it’s apparent that both wild and domestic bees are being negatively affected.
Replacing Grass With Flowers
How can a Landscaper in Silverdale WA assist in the effort to help honeybees? People may have heard about monarch butterfly gardens that provide milkweed for caterpillars. Bee gardens also can be grown by residential property owners. Vacant land tends to be covered in wildflowers, even in arid regions. As that land is filled by residential, commercial, and institutional structures and grass, the numbers of flowers available for pollinators becomes drastically reduced. Thus, replacing some of the grass with flowers is helpful for bees.
Types of Flowers for Bees
Bees prefer flowers with single tops since that makes the nectar easier to obtain. These flowers also produce more nectar. It’s also important to have the landscaper include flowers that bloom in different seasons so the bees can get nectar from spring through autumn.
Some examples of the ideal flowers to replace part of the lawn include marigolds, zinnias, asters, and hyacinths. Planting lilac bushes is another good strategy. Wildflowers like black-eyed Susans, daisies, and coneflower can be added. And, although many property owners don’t like dandelions, those bright yellow flowers are very appealing to bees.
