Bay Ridge Journal: Bee Friendly

A mysterious condition know as Colony Collapse Disorder is killing honeybees and threatening global agriculture. You can help support honeybees and other pollinators by making your backyard pollinator-friendly.

Your garden should include a wide variety of plants that, ideally, bloom all season long. Plants with a variety of shapes and colors are more likely to attract different types of pollinators.

Clusters of plants are easier for pollinators to locate.

Native plant species are 4 times more likely to attract pollinators than imported species.

Don't use chemical pesticides. Control garden pests through natural methods if you can, and if you can't avoid using pesticides, don't use those that are highly toxic to bees, such as most neonicotinoid pesticides.

Spray only after dusk, when pollinators are usually done for the day. Try not to use more than one pesticide at a time, because some chemical combinations have a multiplier effect.

Some of the pesticides most toxic to bees -- and what they’re commonly used for:

Clothianidin: Corn, canola
Dinotefuran: Cabbage, bell peppers, cotton, grapes, melons
Imidacloprid: Cabbage, pumpkins, cotton, blueberries, citrus, grapes, melons
Thiamethoxam: Bell peppers, cotton, cantaloupes, cherries, pears, strawberries, watermelons

A shallow pool of water will attract bees and keep them healthy. It is also helpful to provide a variety of nesting habitats.

About 30% of native bee species nest in old beetle tunnels, snags (dead standing trees) or similar locations. Retaining snags encourages bee nests. You can also make some nesting blocks.

About 70% of native bee species nest in the ground and need access to the soil surface to nest. The help ground-nesting bees, clear small patches of level or sloping ground and gently compact the soil surface. Patches can be from a few inches to a few feet across and should be well drained and in an open, sunny slope. Create nesting patches in different areas to maximize nesting.

For bumblebees, there are no strict size requirements. Any hole large enough for a small colony will be OK. In the wild, most bumblebees nest in abandoned mouse holes in the ground or under grass tussocks. Where you can, keep patches of rough grass. Where you can’t, consider building a nest box or two.

Native plants are the best way to attract and nurture bees. These are rich in pollen or nectar: