Create a Bee Sanctuary in 5 Easy Steps
At the Green Island Creative office, we’re stoked to have a beehive with our little ladies giving us our first batch of honey a few weeks ago. We love our bees as they form a vital part of the greater environment. They provide us with food security by pollinating our crops; they preserve our ecosystem’s health and assist in maintaining our biodiversity. However, native Australian bee populations are under threat from habitat destruction, pests and the use of agricultural chemicals.
Although not everyone can have a beehive as it requires work, guidance and financial input, there are ways to keep bees safe and encourage their pollination. Here are 5 easy steps that anyone can do to create a bee sanctuary in their garden:
1. Avoid using pesticides and insecticides
Bees are insects so if you’re using pesticides or insecticides in your garden, there’s a good chance that it’s harming your friendly neighbourhood bees. It doesn’t mean you have to let other pesky pests run rampant in your garden, it just means finding an alternative bee-friendly way to get rid of them.
Melaleuca hypericifolia (also known as hillock bush) is a native plant that is great for attracting bees
2. Choose indigenous, local flora
One of the best ways to attract bees to your garden is by planting indigenous flora that is local to your region. They give our bees their only food source: nectar and pollen. Not only are they great for the bees but you’ll probably find the plants will be easier to care for as they’re naturally equipped to handle local weather and soil conditions.
3. Plant flowers that bees love
Not only should you be choosing indigenous, local flora but opting for flowers that are known to be loved by bees is a must. When choosing bee-attracting flowers, be mindful that there are two important factors: shape and colour. Bees are mostly attracted to flowers that are either purple, white or blue and have a tubular shape. If you’re looking for specifics, you could try some Isotoma herbs.
4. Open a bee hotel
We don’t actually mean opening a full-service bee hotel, although that would be incredibly adorable. You can grab an already-built bee hotel from Bunnings or you can try your hand at making your own. The key is to have a lot of tunnels that provide a safe space for bees to lay their eggs.
5. Just add water
Bees need fresh water to drink like any living creature. However, be mindful of the medium that you give them water in. Deep bodies of water like birdbaths and ponds might seem like a good idea but actually pose a drowning risk. Make a bee bath instead by filling a shallow dish with water and placing lots of pebbles in it to ensure our little friends stay high and dry while drinking.
May 20th is World Bee Day which gives us the perfect opportunity to get the buzz around bees going. We love having our little hive going in our garden and our girls have provided us with a lot of joy and a lot of delicious honey!