Plant a bee buffet

Honey bees are a crucial link in ecosystems and agriculture around the world, and it is not only up to bee farmers to protect them. You, too, can help by establishing a bee-friendly habitat in your garden – it’s surprisingly easy to do.

There’s no better soundtrack for summer than the buzzing of bees as they dart from one flower to the next on their quest for nectar and pollen and – probably unwittingly – help to pollinate at least a third of the fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds we eat.

Even if you don’t have your own beehive, there are many ways to create an oasis for these insects. 1 Garden organically

What’s the point of creating a “bee oasis” if you are ultimately going to poison the hardworking bees who visit it with insecticides and weedkillers? These products – even the organic versions – are harmful not only to insects but also to children and grown-ups who spend time in your garden.

Once you’ve decided to establish an all-organic garden, it can initially be very difficult when you have to stand by and watch it being destroyed by a host of plagues. Just remember that your garden needs time to re-establish the natural balance – but once everything is in place, the ladybirds, praying mantises and spiders will keep pests in check. 2 Choose the right plants

Bees need flowers to stay alive (and flowers always want pollinators). These insects seek plants that produce lots of nectar or pollen, but preferably both. According to the experts, bees use the nectar mainly for energy for themselves, and the pollen – an important source of protein – is mostly used to feed young bees in the hive.

• WATCH THE BEES Observe which plants they visit in your garden and in the veld. All aromatic herbs and almost all vegetables and fruits will get their attention from time to time.

• SINGLE FLOWERS such as daisies, marigolds, poppies, sunflowers and lavender are the best choices, because they allow bees easy access to the food they are searching for.

Double flowers may look flamboyant but most of them actually produce less nectar and pollen. And the large number of petals and the “complicated” structure of the flower can make it difficult for the bees to reach the nectar and pollen. (Watch the bees in your own garden – they will always first land on the “simple” flowers and will usually ignore your showy double impatiens.) What’s more, many double flowers are hybrids without male and female parts or seed – as a result, they have very little pollen. • STRONG FRAGRANCE Bees only see flowers properly when they are 60cm or less away from them. They use their sense of smell to identify flowers from a distance. Choose flowers with a strong sweet fragrance, such as honeysuckle, lavender, rose and sage. • PURPLE, BLUE, WHITE OR YELLOW Although honey bees don’t have what you would call eagle’s eyes, they see

purple flowers the most easily, followed by blue, white and yellow. So fill your garden with plants that produce purple flowers, such as lavender, alliums, catmint and various buddleias.

(But don’t get rid of flowers in other colours; the bees may not zoom in on them first, but they will eventually spot them!)

3 Keep the plants happy

• COMPOST Avoid chemical fertilisers and instead feed plants in your garden regularly with well-decomposed compost, which contains phosphates and nitrates that will help them to produce good-quality nectar and pollen.

• REMOVE DEAD FLOWERS We often forget to prune dead, pollinated flower heads. Removing them often means you’re helping to stop the hormones released by the seeds (in the seed head or fruit) that inhibit flower formation. Frequent removal of the dead flower heads will result in the plants producing more flowers – and thus more food – for the bees.

4 Remember all the seasons

Bees work like crazy, especially in spring and summer, and slowly start to scale down in autumn, but that only really happens in regions where the temperature drops significantly. Bees never stop production in areas where it’s hot all year round and there’s enough food for them.

With just a little planning, you can make sure there will be at least two or three nectar- or pollen-rich plants in your garden during every season, including winter. Even in the Western Cape, where bees are fairly inactive in winter, worker bees will set off on a sunny day to find nectar and pollen.

5 Don’t kill unwanted swarms

Bee colonies produce swarms in early spring and they could possibly settle in a spot where you don’t want them, such as in your roof, postbox or a shady tree. Under no circumstances should you try to capture the swarm yourself or, even worse, spray it with insect killer. Rather phone a bee farmer or a professional who will make sure the maximum number of bees survive the removal, but remember it’s a dangerous service that requires time, trouble and expert knowledge, so don’t expect someone to do it for you “in exchange for honey”.

6 Remember the water

Bees need fresh, clean water that should be replenished every day. Fill a shallow container with water and arrange rocks or twigs in it for the bees to perch on while they drink.