Bees are important helpers in the garden. We show what protective measures (including beekeeping) you can take to support the bees.
You hear a lot about the honey bee because it is one of the most economically important livestock. A good third of the nutrition of the world population is based solely on the pollination performance of the bees. And of all people, who is so dependent on her, is her greatest enemy. He makes life difficult for her with poison, through the worldwide spread of diseases and through the destruction of habitats. Now you're probably wondering what that has to do with your garden. Quite a lot in fact, because as a hobby gardener you have the power to take effective measures to counteract the prevailing bee-hostile conditions. In our bee articles we explain why bees are important in the garden, how you can create protective islands for the striped insects in a small space, which plants are particularly suitable and how you can even start beekeeping yourself.
Both honey bees and wild bees have been shown to make an inestimably important contribution to the preservation of our ecosystems and our agricultural production. For this reason, nobody should actually try to make it even more difficult for our hard-working friends than it already is due to the current use of our landscape. Due to the joint development of plants and bees, there are hardly any garden plants that actually deter or even permanently drive away bees. Nevertheless, there are plants that are particularly suitable for bees. Among other things, we will introduce them to you, explain what the hard-working helpers actually do and give tips on how you can support them as a hobby gardener
Why bees are important in the garden
Honey bees used to be at home in many gardens and on most farms. They ensured good harvests through their pollination, provided wax and honey for their own use and were important preservers of a cultural landscape rich in species. Not so long ago there were 2.5 million bee colonies in Germany - today there are not even a third anymore,Overall downward trend. These figures directly reflect the changes that have taken place in agriculture over the last few decades. Under the motto "grow or give way", the colorful mosaic of the small-structured cultural landscape was transformed into huge areas of monocultures. Farms became specialized factories with high use of pesticides. The bees, which had been part of each farm's circular economy, lost their place. What remained were the hobby beekeepers (today 95 percent of all beekeepers) and a few large professional beekeepers. Diverse and small-scale structured gardens and cities gained in importance as bee sanctuaries. From here, the busy insects - under the right conditions - continue to provide their valuable services.
In our special article we have compiled for you the immense benefits that bees can also provide and why bees are useful in the garden.
Protect bees in the garden
Bees here primarily mean honey bees and the numerous species of wild bees. There are almost 700 bee species in Central Europe, a third of which are considered threatened. Reason enough to get involved in animal protection. As a beekeeper, you naturally take care of the survival of your own honey bees, but as a gardening "host" you can use our tips to make your garden or balcony bee-fit. The key to this is the right choice of plants and the natural design of the garden. In addition, chemical pesticides should be avoided in the private garden at all times.
Plant selection for bees
It is important for the bees that there is always something flowering during the entire vegetation period. That means: It's all in the mix. However, not all flowering plants help the bees. Plants with long flower tubes, for example, are often specialized for butterflies and moths. And some borage plants can only be pollinated by certain types of bumblebee, which hum at the right frequency when they fly. Although double flowers look magnificent, they are usually sterile and practically worthless to insects. Some of the exotic plants can serve as a source of food for native bees, but are usually visited by a very limited number of species, if at all. Some, for example, are adapted to pollination by birds in their homeland and shine in a long-wave color frequency that insects do not even notice. In addition to the color is also theFlower shape to consider: Among the exotic plants, the less specialized plants, such as those with disc flowers (e.g. sunflowers), are more valuable for native animal species.
Tip: Bee-friendly seed mixtures such as Plantura Bee Pasture contain various types of flowers and herbs that provide the beneficial insects with nectar and pollen.
What are bee friendly plants?
Bee-friendly plants are referred to in technical jargon as bee pastures or bee forage plants. A plant can become a valuable food source for bees by fulfilling various criteria:
1. Number of flowers and flowering time
If a plant blooms particularly long or particularly richly, it simply offers a particularly large source of food. However, this fact alone is worthless, a pronounced flowering is only useful for bees in combination with a sufficient production of nectar and pollen.
2. Production of nectar and pollenSome breeds of our garden plants have been influenced in their flower shape in such a way that they produce fewer stamens and carpels and instead more ornamental petals. The fuller a flower is, the lower its nectar and pollen production - up to complete sterility. There are also naturally wind-pollinated plants that do not naturally produce nectar.
3. Accessibility
The flower shape of a plant can be more or less specialized. The co-evolution of insects and plants has sometimes led to extremely specialized forms. In order to do justice to as many pollinators as possible, a wide range of different plants is ideal.
4. Plant originIn order to promote our native insect world, naturally native plants are most suitable. Our insects have adapted to their characteristics in terms of flowering time, nectar quality and flower shape.
Plants for bees are found in all plant groups. There are plants that bees love in the shade, semi-shade or in the sun and in annual summer flowers as well as under perennials, shrubs and woody plants. Thankfully, because the range is so wide, almost everyone can do something to help bees and insects. Both in the window box and in the large garden there are many plants that can attract and feed bees. Optimally, the respective plants are chosen so that during the entire growing season at least onefood source is available - so that something is always blooming. This wish is usually also compatible with the wishes of the executive gardener.
We have summarized the best bee-friendly plants for your garden here for you.
Nature in the garden for bees and co.
A lot has already been achieved when a bit of wilderness is allowed to conquer the garden. The neighbors will put up with it if you let a few weeds bloom. Sloppily (as they would say in Austria) is beautiful: Wild bees in particular are dependent on the presence of building materials and nesting sites, such as those found in a natural garden: stalks, clay, sand, branches and warm, open areas of the ground provide the perfect foundation . Diversity is the magic word. Insect hotels can provide insect-friendly structures in a small space. Provide a bee waterer and the bee garden is ready. Tip: If you have enough space available, the local beekeepers' association would be happy to have a colony or two in your garden.
You can find detailed instructions for a bee paradise in your own garden here.
Become a hobby beekeeper
If you have now acquired a taste and want to try beekeeping yourself, we will inform you below about the most important requirements and the practice of beekeeping.
Requirements of Beekeeping
At the beginning it is important to be clear about the requirements of beekeeping: Do you know how difficult beekeeping is in times of great insect mortality? Do you want a good yield of honey or is a beekeeper sufficient for you? Are there allergies to bee venom in your family? Do you have enough time and are you willing to invest a considerable sum in the purchase? Does your family support you? Are you physically able to lift the heavy loads? Next, you should clarify where the bees can stand. Are there enough forage plants there? Is there a storage room and a separate centrifugal room that meets the hygiene regulations? These are questions you should definitely think about at the outset.
Expert Support
You don't have to do an entire apprenticeship right away, but it won't work without help either. Visit a beekeeping association nearby that might support you in the beginning. Because it makes a big difference if you have an experienced beekeeper at your sideto have. In this way you pay less dues and can avoid serious beginner mistakes that would quickly take away the joy of beekeeping. Find out about courses that lead through the entire bee year, impart basic knowledge and show the bees directly at the stand. The association will also help you to decide on how to operate and how to treat the Varroa mite. The right time for all preparations in the bee year is also not easy to see through at the beginning. Well-organized clubs make joint orders for materials and thus make this hurdle easier. Last but not least, you may find other young beekeepers in the club with whom you can team up. It's just more fun together.
We have covered in detail in a special article how you can become a successful hobby beekeeper, which you can find here.