Easy Ways You Can Help Bees

Love bees, but not ready for the commitment of beekeeping? That’s ok! Here are easy ways you can still help bees.

There are many reasons why people (even people who love bees) might not be able to keep bees: space, time, money, or allergies to name a few.

Not to worry! There are still plenty of ways you can help the bee population without being a beekeeper. Remember that when you set out to help the honeybee population you’re also helping other species of bees and beneficial insects that are critical to our environment.

Here are few options for you that help you protect and help the bee community:

1. Plant pollinator-friendly plants

You can plant bee-friendly flowers even if you don’t have garden space. A flowering plant on your balcony can provide pollen and nectar for all types of bees and butterflies too. If you can, try to plant a variety that provides blooms at different times throughout the season. Here are a few suggestions for easy to grow plants that are beneficial to pollinators:

• Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

• Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)

• Bee Balm (Monarda spp.)

• Borage (Borago officinalis)
  

Oregano and other herbs too like, basil, rosemary, marjoram, mint are also attractive to pollinators. Lavender is also a great source of nectar for bees and butterflies.

2. Plant bee-friendly trees

Bees need trees too. The flowers of several types of tree contain nectar and pollen which are what bees are looking for. They also provide a prime source of resin which is a main ingredient in making propolis. If you have more space available you can consider planting a bee-beneficial tree.

Maple trees, Sweetgum, Black Locust and Linden trees are good options.

Fruit trees including plum, cherry, apricot, apple, peach and pear are also good food sources for bees. Most fruit trees flower in the spring which is when bees need to refill their hives after the long winter. Almond trees are also a good option and tend to flower around February to March.

3. Put out water for bees

Bees use water for hydration, honey production and to cool their hives in the summer heat. Have you ever seen bees in the swimming pool? They’re looking for water. The only problem is that in a pool they don’t have a safe way to get out. What you can do instead is, put out a dish or large saucer with some rocks or sticks so that they have a dry place to land, can safely get the water they need and get back out and on their way.

4. Support your local beekeepers

Supporting your neighborhood beekeeper means that they can keep doing their work. It’s rewarding for you too, and probably the easiest way to help bees. Purchasing honey and other hive products from a local beekeeper means you’re supporting an operation that is dedicated to increasing the bee population and to the overall health of bees. Eating local, unprocessed honey means that you get the added benefit of getting to know your area better. Since every location has it's own unique flora every type of honey has its own unique tastes too. Wildflower honey from your area will probably taste different than a wildflower honey from a farm a few hours away.

Photo by Aliye Durmaz

5. Stop using pesticides in your garden

Overuse of pesticides and herbicides in the garden is a proven factor in the decline of all pollinator species. Especially the class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids. These chemicals interfere with the navigation system of bees often causing them to be unable to find their way back to the hive. If they are able to return home, they often die due to chemical poisoning. This means that there are fewer foragers able to go out to collect nectar and pollen and therefore the hive is at risk of collapse.

Honeybees forage an average of 3-5 miles from their hive, so doing your part to keep poisonous chemicals out of their foraging area is a huge step in protecting not only honeybees, but all pollinators.

If you have to use pesticides, please be wise about the timing of application. Spraying around dusk or after dusk means that all the bees are back in their hives and less likely to be hit with the full brunt of the chemical.

6. Contact a local beekeeper for swarm removal

If you find a swarm of bees -please, please, please do not spray them and do not try to remove them yourself. If they are located in an easy-to-reach place an experienced beekeeper can recover the swarm and give it a new home. Contact the local beekeeper association or club which should have a network of people available to take care of it or help you contact the right people who can safely remove hives and swarms.

Photo by Arthur Brognoli

7. Tag along with a beekeeper friend

So, you’re ready to dabble in beekeeping, but not ready for the whole commitment. No problem. Your friend probably knows a friend who keeps bees. And if they’re like any other beekeeper they could likely use a hand now and then when they do their hive checks. Beekeepers are pretty much always willing to talk about bees with anyone who has ears, and are willing to take help from anyone who’s offering - so just ask. Maybe you can help out when they’ve got heavy lifting to do, or even go capture a swarm together.

8. Build a bee nest for solitary bees

Did you know that not all bees live in a hive, in fact, many are solitary bees. Of the 20,000 known bee species only about 2% are honey bees and bumblebees. The rest are solitary bees. We can help these underappreciated pollinators by creating a safe ‘bee house’ where they can nest.

It’s simple to do and you can probably even find recycled materials to make it. All you really need is a box and some tube shaped materials or different dimensions which could be plant stalks or paper straws.

We’ve found a great guide for you from the University of Nebraska Extension with great photos of bee life inside the bee house too.

Bee Hotel

Helping pollinators doesn’t mean you have to buy acres of land or invest in beekeeping equipment. In reality, taking small steps to increase your awareness and pay attention to the natural world around you can make a difference. Gestures such as putting a bee-friendly plant on your balcony, buying honey from local beekeepers, making a bee house or considering the pollinator population when you plan your landscaping all help to protect bees and the ecosystem. What small changes can you make to help support and protect bees?