Lately there seems to be a steady hum of bad news about bees — that they’re in decline, whether from parasites, pesticides or lack of host plants. But there are things we can do to help attract bees to our landscapes, writes Janet Carson in HomeStyle.
Bees are important to humans’ food supply. They pollinate fruits and vegetables, in addition to row crops, so they help feed the world. The world’s main pollinator insects by far are bees, and while European honeybees are the best known, there are more than 4,000 species of native bees in the United States.
Bees like flowers. To help bring bees to your garden, adding a diverse mix of flowering plants can extend the season for bee visitations — as well as the time frame in which people will enjoy visiting it, too. See tomorrow’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for Carson’s bee-pleasing picks.