Walkers along side the float will be handing out packets of bee approved seeds.
Would you like to be in the parade?
At our next meeting you will have an opportunity to sign up as a walker in the parade. The word is out and people will be looking for our float. Help make it a crowd favourite.
In the meantime here are some handy tips to pass along to less knowledgeable friends.
To help bees and other pollinator insects provide a range of plants that will offer a succession of flowers, and thus pollen and nectar, through the whole growing season. Patches of foraging habitat can be created in many different locations, from backyards and school ground to golf courses and city parks. Even a small area planted with the right flowers will be beneficial, because each patch will add to the mosaic of habitat available to bees and other pollinators.
Use local native plants. Research suggests native plants are four times more attractive to native bees than exotic flowers. In gardens, heirloom varieties of herbs and perennials can also provide good foraging. Choose several colors of flowers. Flower colors that particularly attract bees are blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow.
Plant flowers in clumps. Flowers clustered into clumps of one species will attract more pollinators than individual plants scattered through the habitat patch. Where space allows, make the clumps four feet or more in diameter.
Include flowers of different shapes. Bees are all different sizes, have different tongue lengths, and will feed on different shaped flowers. Consequently, providing a range of flower shapes means more bees can benefit.
Have a diversity of plants flowering all season. By having several plant species flowering at once, and a sequence of plants flowering through spring, summer, and fall, you can support a range of bee species that fly at different times of the season.
Thanks to Washington State School District 113 for the above information.
At our next meeting you will have an opportunity to sign up as a walker in the parade. The word is out and people will be looking for our float. Help make it a crowd favourite.
In the meantime here are some handy tips to pass along to less knowledgeable friends.
To help bees and other pollinator insects provide a range of plants that will offer a succession of flowers, and thus pollen and nectar, through the whole growing season. Patches of foraging habitat can be created in many different locations, from backyards and school ground to golf courses and city parks. Even a small area planted with the right flowers will be beneficial, because each patch will add to the mosaic of habitat available to bees and other pollinators.
Use local native plants. Research suggests native plants are four times more attractive to native bees than exotic flowers. In gardens, heirloom varieties of herbs and perennials can also provide good foraging. Choose several colors of flowers. Flower colors that particularly attract bees are blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow.
Plant flowers in clumps. Flowers clustered into clumps of one species will attract more pollinators than individual plants scattered through the habitat patch. Where space allows, make the clumps four feet or more in diameter.
Include flowers of different shapes. Bees are all different sizes, have different tongue lengths, and will feed on different shaped flowers. Consequently, providing a range of flower shapes means more bees can benefit.
Have a diversity of plants flowering all season. By having several plant species flowering at once, and a sequence of plants flowering through spring, summer, and fall, you can support a range of bee species that fly at different times of the season.
Thanks to Washington State School District 113 for the above information.
There is more in depth information on the Suzuki Foundation website about feeding bees and creating the conditions they favour.
No comments:
Post a Comment
When you visit let us know by leaving a comment. If you have a gmail account you can comment using the google designation in the "comment as" box. If not you will need to scroll down in the "comment as" box until you reach anonymous at the bottom. Click on it as your choice. Write your comment, add your first name or initials and hit the PUBLISH button.