You might have seen some bees or a whole horde of them this time of the year, especially if you have a garden. They are tireless little creatures that do not only supply us with sweet honey, but also ensure that our plants bear fruit and have seeds for the following year.

Unfortunately, some people have developed a not-so-pretty perception of bees in recent times but not all bees are the same. Most of the bees you see around you are helpful ones that are responsible for most of the pollination in your area. Without them, there’s be no lush green spaces and no wild fruits to enjoy.

Native bee species are in danger of becoming extinct. With their previous habitat now turned into residential areas or developed some other way, we can all do our share to help out these little helpers of our ecosystem. Below are some ways you can make your garden be more bee-friendly!

Get to Know the Native Species

There are so many types of bees out there! You might be surprised that some even have partnerships with certain flower species – that is, they exhibit floral fidelity; meaning they only forage that one specific flower when it is in bloom. The flowers benefit from this because they depend on bees for seed production. Although generalist bees can take over when specialised bees aren’t around, they usually just forage all types of flowers. This results in fewer seeds.

Stop Fearing the Buzz

Bees have suffered from bad publicity throughout the years, some people believe that bees are out to sting humans but that is far from the truth. Only some types of bees are aggressive and even then, they don’t do anything aggressive nor defensive unless provoked. As for the native species, they are usually quite docile and travel alone so the possibility of an attack is very small. In fact, some native bee species don’t even possess stingers.

Help Educate People About How Bees Are Better Pollinators

A lot of Native American bees are usually the first and last pollinators. This means they are earliest active bees in spring and are still pollinating flowers right around the start of winter. They are the bees you want because they help increase crop yield and give you beautiful flowers for 3 seasons a year.

Protect Wild Habitats

Plenty of bees nest in the ground so leaving bare spots is important. Spraying pesticides and chemicals on wild areas are harming the bees so keep that in mind when using those.

Help Add Constructed Habitats

Just like people, bees need shelter. You can purchase bumblebee houses online or just leave your garden a little bit messy in some areas. The bees will love it!

Go Native!

Native bees have a special relationship with native plants. By planting more native plants, you’ll be helping out your local bee population. Native plants also do better than foreign species because they are used to being in your area.