1. Know your Bees
When you find a bee nesting on your property try to cautiously learn as much as you can about it before deciding to spray or have it removed. They could be providing your garden with valuable pollination services. If you find bees on your property, feel free to share pics with us. We will try to help identify them and share any information that we have about the bees that may be helpful.
2. Research Options for Pest Control
Herbicides and other pesticides sprayed on flowers can contaminate the pollen and nectar collected by bees. The pesticides can build up in the nest and hurt the adults and their offspring. There are many options for dealing with different garden pests. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a method of dealing with garden pests in a responsible way with a variety of options such as mechanical, biological, cultural and chemical controls. There may be a way of dealing with your pest that is cheaper, more reliable and safer for pollinators than using pesticides. If not, please read the label and research the chemical that you are using to reduce your potential non-target impact to pollinator populations.
3. Plant a Variety of Native Plants.
A variety of flowers with differing shapes, colors, patterns and sizes will draw in a diversity of bees. If you plant flowers that bloom at different times you will be supporting bees that are active at different times of the year. Bees foraging on flowers are not likely to sting and can be fun to watch. The flowers pollinated by your bee visitors will produce a better fruit and higher seed set. Check out our Native Plant List for the Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bees.
4. Create Bee-Friendly Habitat.
There are many plans online for making artificial nests for bees.
Bee blocks can be made by drilling holes into untreated wood. These blocks might be used by solitary bees like the leaf-cutter bee, resin bee, and yellow-faced bee who rely on pre-existing holes for their nests.
To drill a bee block:
- Choose an untreated wood at least 6 inches at its widest point.
- Use a 3/8 to 3/32 drill bit and drill into the widest point 3-5 inches leaving an area in the back that is undrilled.
- Drill several holes about 1½inches apart.
- Position your bee block facing morning sun and near some type of visual landmark.
- Wait for bees to move in and enjoy the show when they do.
Bundles of hollow tubes can also be set out to provide nest options for solitary bees. Use the same general sizes of diameter and length that are listed above for the bee block. Experiment with a variety of materials such as paper, plastic, bamboo, reed, cardboard, etc. Bundle these tubes and face them the entrances towards morning sun. Then sit back and watch as they come to life.
Using either of these methods you may also get solitary wasps that are not defensive but are also beneficial in the garden. The wasps will collect small insects and spiders to provision their nests. Many of the herbivorous insects that they collect like grasshoppers and caterpillars can be pests in the garden. With plenty of solitary wasps at your bee sites you may even be able to reduce the amount of pesticides that you use.