Beekeeping is a fascinating hobby with a sweet reward. I recently attended a local honey bee keepers meeting where they were mainly talking about raising your own queen bees, but then opened the floor up for a question and answer time. I was shocked at all the effort put into having your own hives. It takes a lot of work and knowledge to keep healthy hives and bees. I definitely have a new respect for the hobby, and absolutely believe that local farmers market honey is worth every somewhat-pricey penny!

According to beebuilt.com, just a few years ago in 2015, as much as 42% of the bee population died off — and would you believe that worldwide, bees perform almost 80% of our necessary pollination? Knowing that, those bee population numbers are hugely concerning. Why did so many die off, you might ask? Problems like increased pesticide usage, changes in climate and habitat, as well as hive pests and diseases are to blame.

I realize we can’t all have bee hives, but what can the average person do to aid the survival of this extremely important insect?

1. Consider planting a bee garden — and if you have a backyard vegetable garden, as well, the bees will be happy to pollinate it for you in return. After all, who doesn’t want to boost their harvest? Plants that attract bees will also provide up-close and personal observation for your homeschooling children. This year, I started up a butterfly garden for just this purpose; while my goal initially was to attract butterflies, I’m happy to include any insects for my 7-year-old budding entomologist!
   
   

   

   
   When choosing your flowers, know that bees prefer single flower tops — like daisies, poppies, and dianthus (a.k.a., sweet William) — that produce more nectar. It’s much harder for bees to gather pollen and nectar from double-headed flowers with very full blooms and lots of petals (think peonies, chrysanthemums, and even many roses).

   You do want to choose a few different varieties of flowers so your bee garden will stay in bloom for as long as possible. For example, crocuses are very early spring flowers … I happen to have a whole front yard of them that pop up more bountifully every year, usually when the snow flurries are still about! While their blooms don’t last very long, each year I notice several bees out and about gathering their nectar and pollen. Summer flowers might be bee balm, hostas, echinacea, or one of my personal favorites, snapdragons (as if the name isn’t fun enough, the shape of their flowers is fascinating). In the fall, zinnias, asters, or goldenrod make for great late bloomers. A note of caution, though: don’t select highly hybridized plants for bees, as many of them have been bred to not produce seed and, as a result, have very little pollen.

   Don’t think you have room for a bee garden? Even a window-sill container or hanging basket can help sustain the local bee population, especially during times when fewer plants are blooming!

2. Add a bird bath, or another source of clean, fresh water to your backyard. Insert a few twigs for the bees to land on while they drink. I added a small solar fountain like this one to create movement in the water. While it won’t chase off the birds and bees, it does deter mosquitoes from using your bird bath as a breeding ground.
3. Avoid using pesticides and herbicides around your garden area; these can be toxic and deadly to beneficial insects as well as pests. Even organic control like diatomaceous earth should be used sparingly, as it also can harm your beneficial garden visitors. Consider using natural pest controls such as ladybugs, spiders, or praying mantises. One place to obtain the ladybugs and praying mantises is Insectlore.com. Their fun children’s kits are a great place to start. You get to observe their growth and changes, and then release them into your garden to feed on pests … that’s what I consider a win/win!

Back in 2018, the Virginia Department of Agriculture offered free bee hives to people willing to tend them, in an effort to boost the bee population. The state quickly had to suspend the program due to the overwhelming number of requests they received ⁠— almost 3,000 applications in less than a month! While it was a noble idea, one can see how unexpected that must have been. I am not aware of any similar program being offered anywhere right now, but it might be worth checking with your local Extension Office or Department of Agriculture if you’re interested in starting up this hobby. They might be able to help you find a local group of beekeepers to get in touch with, as well … and of course, there’s always social media. If you post on Facebook that you’re interested in learning about beekeeping, there’s an excellent chance you’ll find local resources.

Even if you don’t have the time, money, or interest to invest in starting your own honey bee hives, I hope you will consider at least leaving out a bit of fresh water for them during the hot dry months. Now that I’ve talked myself into it, I’m off to find some bee balm to add to my butterfly garden!