Bees & Landscaping

Impact on the Landscape

• In spite of their negative reputation as insects that will sting if provoked, bees play an important role in the ecosystem. The main food source for bees is nectar and pollen produced by flowers. When bees collect these substances, they pick up the pollen on their bodies and spread it to other plants. This pollen transfer is a vital part of plant reproduction, and is so instrumental in the production of fruits and vegetables that beehives can be found in many orchards and on large farms.

  The pollination carried out by bees creates seeds from plants that might not otherwise be paired, resulting in a variety of different cross-breeds of flowers and unique colors.

Attracting Bees

• Attracting bees and encouraging them to make their home in the garden largely involves choosing the right landscaping plants. Not all plants will attract bees, but designing a landscape so there are at least a handful of attractive plants will help bring them to the garden. Planting these bee-friendly plants in a certain area can help encourage them, and making this area far away from the house or patio can help keep the yard safe for those afraid of stings.

  Ornamental trees like the honeylocust are popular with bees, as are flowering trees such as crabapples. Herbs such as sage, thyme, mint and basil will not only attract bees, but also can be harvested for use in the kitchen afterwards. Numerous flowers will attract bees, including sunflowers, asters, zinnias and many wildflowers.

Discouraging Bees

• Since not all flowers attract bees, leaving bee-friendly plants out of the landscape will give them no reason to come to the garden. Safe plants to include in a landscape that won't attract unwanted attention from bees include hawthorn shrubs along with oak and maple trees. Wildflowers will attract bees, so leave these out of the landscape design as well. Weeds such as dandelions are highly attractive, so keeping the yard weeded and free of these intruders will help discourage bees.

  Bees are also attracted to water, so refrain from shallow water features like water gardens and bird baths.

Removing Nests Before Landscaping

• Working in the yard and doing some do-it-yourself landscaping can be made much more difficult by the presence of a bees' nest and swarming insects. To remove nests, first spray them with an insecticide specifically made for killing bees. When this is done at night, the bees will be less active and less likely to sting. Repeat until there are no more bees visible, then remove the nest using gloves and a garbage bag.

  Bees that nest in the ground can be a particular nuisance when weeding or planting flowers. One of the easiest ways to safely remove them is to thoroughly soak the area with water, as they do not like wet soil.