A conversation about bees

I had an interesting conversation with a new landowner the other day. She and her husband were excited to have moved away from a hip, but, too congested Nashville neighborhood to a sweet farm about 30 minutes away. They loved the country quiet, they loved seeing the stars at night and they were eager to start a garden. She spoke enthusiastically about finding a bee keeper to put hives near their garden. Of course I thought she was going to become a honeybee keeper and said as much, but, she said no, that they weren't interested in beekeeping "only in making sure the garden was pollinated". 

The stems of decaying wildflowers provide homes for overwintering critters

Dear readers, you know me, I took this as an invitation to tell her a little about native bees.

Don't worry if you can't find a beekeeper who wants to take care of bees on your land, you don't need honeybees to pollinate your vegetables, fruits and flowers. All you have to do is create a pollinator friendly garden and the native bees will be busy buzzing around your garden. Native carpenter bees, bumblebees, small carpenter bees, mason bees, flies and beetles do a a grand job of pollinating your garden. In fact, they're even better at pollinating blueberries, watermelons, pumpkins, tomatoes, and squashes than honeybees. 

She was very excited, so, I said, "Here's my card, please check my blog for information about native plants and pollinators and call/email anytime for information or to get together to talk about planting for pollinators."

If you're new to this blog, here's what you need to create a pollinator friendly habitat.

• plant large swathes of nectar and pollen producing plants (Central Basin natives make sense in a Middle Tennessee garden)
• plant host plants~so the offspring of butterfly, beetles and other pollinators can feed
• plan for bloom from late spring to early winter
• bee sure to include water
• provide nesting sites near your garden for a variety of visitors: Build a pollinator condo, leave some bare ground for earth nesting bees and pile decaying logs for beetles who like to tunnel.
• practice peaceful coexistence. Bees sometimes choose to nest in inconvenient places. Rather than exterminating them, think of it as an opportunity to watch and learn about them up close.

My new friend had been paying attention to the news reports about bees and like many people assumed that honeybees are the bee all end all for gardens. Of course, it makes sense that many come to that conclusion...Honeybees have gotten most of the attention. Yes, we should do all we can to save honeybees, let's not forget our native bees in the process. Native pollinators are in peril from loss of habitat and pesticide use. We can help them. We must make sure that everyone knows how important native bees are to our natural ecosystems. After all, hundreds of other species depend upon native bees to pollinate wildflowers, native trees and shrubs.

(Five Things You Can Do Right Now To Save Pollinators)

You and I can make sure that native bees get more attention!

We can share our knowledge through our blogs.
We can talk to our gardening friends.
We can invite native plant experts and ecologists to speak to our garden clubs.
We can request pesticide free plants at garden centers.

Of course you all know that the very best thing you can do for pollinators is to never, ever, ever, ever use pesticides!

 xoxogail

  


 Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

One Of The Last Bees To Visit

Is the Metallic Green Bee.

Photographed last week swarming all over the Symphyotrichum praealtum 'Miss Bessie' and her offspring. It was a sunny warm day and the little bees and a few bumbles came out to nectar.

Regular readers might remember how very much I love Symphyotrichum praealtum. It's a wonderful very late blooming native Ex-aster that begins blooming in mid to late October just as the Little ex-asters are starting to fade and continues blooming through most of November.  All the pollinators adore this beauty, and by all, I mean every Bumble, tiny little fly, beetle, small bee or Skipper that's in the garden can be found nectaring on the sweet lilac-blue flowers from the time the sun moves past the canopy trees and warms up the garden, until it sets and everything cools off.

native bees are valued for the role in pollinating our wildflowers and food crops

But, I digress! Let's talk about the  Metallic Green Bee. Their busy as a bee manner makes me happy when ever I see them darting from flower to flower faster than I can click an infocus photo. But, I must be honest with you, there are several subfamilies and I cannot tell them apart. I am pretty sure my Metallic Green Bees are from the genus Agapostemon (a true native bees in the family Halictidae). They are small to medium sized bees that are often metallic in color. Some are communal, a dozen or more females may share a nest entrance, but underground each bee creates and cares for her own brood cells. They line the individual cells with water resistant chemicals and provision them with a pollen ball to feed the individual larvae. They are the among the most important and common visitors to prairie wildflowers, and are seen flying/nectaring about my garden for most of the growing season. (source)

Composite plants produce high quality nectar

Learning about native bees still greatly interests me. They're a diverse group, they come in a wide array of sizes, shapes, and colors, they have different seasons of activity, flower preferences and nesting requirements. One of the first things I discovered when I began researching bees was how well adapted they were for collecting and feeding on nectar (for energy) and pollen (protein). Their furry bodies are pollen magnets and their tongues are well adapted for seeking out nectar in the many different flower shapes.

Verbesina is perfect for short tongued bees

Speaking of bee's tongues! Bees are classified as either long or short tongued, based of course on the length of their proboscis (a kind of complex tongue). Bees with long tongues have the pick of the crop, they can nectar on most flowers, but bees with shorter tongues need short, open flowers with nectar within easy reach. The Metallic Green Bees have short tongues and favor Asteraceaes or composites, with its easily accessible and high quality nectar. (source)

They're floral generalists, meaning they will visit a wide range of flower types and species when seeking out pollen

Metallic Green Bees are floral generalists and keep busy in my garden from early spring to late fall. Just before the last big freeze they and the Bumbles were still nectaring on the native ex-asters, the Sheffield mums and the few Coreopsis still in bloom.

They will be out and about as long as the day warms up above 50F and there are blooms on the last remaining Willowleaf aster. On the whole, generalist bees, are more resilient and not dependent upon a particular flower's pollen to survive, as long as there are composites in bloom they will feed.

The females forage our gardens for nectar and pollen to feed herself and her offspring.

What they are dependent upon are gardeners like us to provide a well planned pollinator friendly garden.
It's quite easy to do, just...

• Plant more native plants, annual and perennial, known to attract your regional bees
• Make sure you have several different plants in bloom from early spring to late fall
• Provide shelter from the wind, rain, or cold
• Provide nesting spots~Soft and exposed soil, decaying logs, nesting boxes, build a pollinator condominium. (see here). Research what they need.
• Don't be in such a hurry to tidy up the garden or cover every piece of earth with mulch.
• Provide water.
• Never, ever, ever, ever, ever use pesticides. They're poisonous to pollinators.

October 2013

Now's the perfect time to begin planning for next year.
xoxogail


Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

A Few Good Reasons To Plant For Pollinators

One

Asclepias tuberosa

Two

Agastache 'Bolero' with Bumble

Three

Oenothera fruticosawith small carpenter bee

Four

Echinacea pallida 'Hula Dance'

Five

Aronia melanocarpa with native bee

Six

Sleeping bee

 Seven

Carpenter Bee on Penstemon

I appreciate all the pollinators at Clay and Limestone, but, my favorite has always been the Bumble.

Bumbles won my heart dozens of years ago when I noticed how hard they worked in the garden. They were the first pollinators up and about each morning and the last to leave each night. I found them sleeping on flowers on cool mornings and watched them nectaring and gathering pollen on the last of the latest blooming ex-asters in November. They were a joy to watch and I wanted to learn all about them. (from earlier post)

I learned that they are social bees that build nests in the soft earth or leaf litter.  

I learned that they are generalist and will visit almost any nectar and pollen producing plant, but, like all creatures, they do seem to appreciate a varied diet, so I have planted dozens of plants, native and specially chosen exotics,  for them to choose among!

I always knew they were gentle, but, I learned they did not swarm and rarely stung.

I discovered that they are major pollinators in vegetable gardens and orchards~If you want tomatoes, you need bumbles and if you love orchard crops, berries, watermelon, sunflowers and other fruits you also need bumbles. They pollinate 1/3 of what we eat and that 80% of the world's crops are dependent upon them for pollination.

I read that Bumbles and other native bees prefer yellow, purple, blue, violet and white flowers~But, I've seen them on almost every colored flower in my garden.

 

I also learned that their numbers are decreasing and that gardeners are important partners in helping them make a comeback. 

There's lots we can do for Bumbles and the other pollinators that live in and visit our gardens. (Five Things You Can Do Right Now To Save Pollinators)

We can:

• plant large swathes of nectar and pollen producing plants
• plant host plants~so the offspring of butterfly, beetles and other pollinators can feed
• plan for bloom from late spring to early winter
• bee sure to include water
• provide nesting sites for a variety of visitors: Build a pollinator condo, leave some bare ground for earth nesting bees and pile decaying logs for beetles who like to tunnel.
• practice peaceful coexistence. Bees sometimes choose to nest in inconvenient places. Rather than exterminating them, think of it as an opportunity to see and learn about them up close. (thanks to MOBOT for this last one)  

xoxogail 

  Of course you all know the one of the very best things you can do for pollinators is to never, ever, ever, ever use pesticides!

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

The Pollinator Condo How-To

Pollinator Tower is designed to be attractive housing for a variety of small native bees, beetles and other arthropods...

From the first time I saw a pollinator hotel/insect condo I began planning to build one for my garden. Although, I can't be sure which pollinators will move in, my inner budding entomologist will have a lot of fun observing and documenting what moves in and which accommodations they prefer. 

I am thrilled that you're here to see how it was constructed and I hope you build one for your garden, community center or school. Please share your designs and what you've observed with all of us in the gardening community, so that we can continue to understand and help our native bees and other pollinators.

It really is always the right time to think about pollinators!

small bees like this carpenter bee might move in

Disclaimer: I am not a carpenter. No way, no how, so any of you with real skills can laugh your head off at my right brain construction techniques. What I figured out from doing this was that I really would love a workshop were tools are at the ready, plugs were nearby and I didn't have to spend a lot of time setting up and putting stuff away in a shed in the wayback of my garden. Having said that, let me tell you, that building my pollinator habitat was the most fun I've had in a long time.

I hope the instructions and photos are clear and that you will soon be creating your own habitat.

Construction Narrative:

After looking at dozens of marvelous and creative pollinator habitat designs I decided the simplest design was one that used stacked pallets. They were easy to come by and required absolutely no skills except stacking them so they would not topple over in the wind or snow. I got mine free from a local garden center.  But don't take just any, make sure you find ones stamped HT, that means they were heat treated not shot full of preservatives that could poison pollinators or you!

I wanted this project to be simple to make, easy to reproduce and with easily located materials,. All the materials used were purchased at a home center or recycled from found materials.

Originally, I planned on using full sized pallet, but, decided that  24"x 48" was big enough. I measured, marked the cutting lines, removed the nails that were in the way of the saw blade and then Mr I cut them. (Remember, pallets are not square, level, uniform or plumb, nor are they exactly 4'x4')

I situated the habitat in a semi-sunny spot away from the main garden, but, close enough for pollinators

I placed the first pallet section on concrete blocks that were securely set in the ground. Then, I used three bricks on each corner to hold the next pallet making sure they were steady and secure and continued this process until it looked tall enough...I only needed three.

I liked it, but it lacked a certain pizazz.  Even when I began filing the spaces with pollinator habitat materials it still looked dull. 

It really needed a roof!

roof center board is secured with shims and braces

 Rather than building a heavy frame to hold the roof, I decided to make the roof a sandwich board! A quick trip to the local home center netted 2 pieces of 1/4 inch exterior plywood (24"x40" cut to size), a bundle of cedar roof shingles and several tubes of construction adhesive. (cost under $50)

sample sandwich board roof and center board

 I hinged the roof pieces together with small door hinges and held it upright on the tower with a 20"x 24" center board of 1/2" exterior plywood. The center board is braced between two pieces of oak and then shimmed. The center board, hinges, shims and oak braces are from old projects. 

Not bad looking...

 Now, here comes the fun part~hanging the shingles!

Shingling is not difficult when you're standing on the ground and don't care if it's not perfect.  Just do an internet search and get the basics from one of the excellent videos that's available.  I especially liked this one from Fine Gardening.  

I glued the shingles to the roof and held them in place with staples while they dried.

Here's what I learned from the shingling project!

Shingling is a bottom up project!
The fat edge of the shingles are the bottoms!
When laying the shingles make sure the seams don't line up, this protects the roof from leaking.
I tried many combinations of shingles to avoid having to cut them to size. 
Construction adhesive is marvelous and easier to use than trying to nail into an attached sandwich board roof!
A few staples will hold the shingles in place so the glue can dry.

Every roof needs a ridge cap to cover the joint at the top

You will have to use a power saw again! The last layers of shingles will need to be cut off at the ridge line (see photo above to see why) or individually cut before you attach them to the roof and,
You will need to make a ridge cap to cover the gap between the two sides of the roof.
You can make a fancy over sized ridge cap that does double duty as a ridge cap and the last course of shingles.

You can do what I did, shingle all the way and ask someone comfortable with a power saw to cut off the overhang and then...

secured with clear silicon sealant

Use a small straight tree limb to make a ridge cap. It looks especially festive with a Bur Oak acorn cup to cap it off.

All that's left to do is finish filling the habitat with pollinator friendly materials.

Now go forth and have fun building your own Pollinator Condo!
xoxogail 

PS It bears repeating, if you want pollinators in your garden, you must never, ever, ever, ever use pesticides and think about adding a bee block or condo!

MATERIALS:
2 or 3 pallets~Make sure they are stamped with HT (heat treatment not formaldehyde) each cut into two equal pieces 23"x 48" (approximately, pallets are not square, straight or uniform)  
concrete blocks, paver stones and/or brick(I had all on hand)
1 sheet 4'x4' exterior plywood cut into 2 20"x40" pieces for the roof ($13)
4 small door/cabinet hinges and wood screws    
1- 24"x20" piece of exterior plywood for the center board
2-2"x2" boards 24" long to brace the center board.
1 bundle of cedar shingles (not top grade)  ($25)
2 tubes of construction adhesive ($5)
1 tube of silicon (on hand)
caulking gun  (on hand)
one relatively straight limb for roof ridge and Bur Oak acorn cup 

TOOLS: 
Power circular saw
Screw Driver
Pruning saw
pry bar to remove nails on the pallets
Helpful husband, wife, bf, gf or partner to do the heavy cutting

POLLINATOR ATTRACTIVE MATERIALS:
Wood with different sized holes for cavity nesters
bundles of hollow or pithy stems, paper straws
stacked tree limbs with bark
leaves and straw
left over cedar shingles for critters that like to hide


*Bobbie Peachey lady bug clip art

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Pollinator Condo Open to Invertebrate Residences

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gardener provides homes for native bees, beetles and beneficial insects in new condo.

Nashville, TN~December 7, 2012 Local wildlife gardener Gail Eichelberger has built a pollinator condo, named Pollinator Tower, for native Carpenter Bees, small bees, beetles and even a few beneficial insects.

When asked if this kind of artificial habitat will be attractive, she said, "Pollinators are rather picky when it comes to where they nest and rear their young, rooms have been constructed to appeal to a wide range of residents." 

Apartments/rooms will have small and large pre-drilled holes, pithy stems preferred by small carpenter bees and straws and hollow bamboo for mason bees. In addition, there's unpainted wood for Carpenter Bees, logs with loose bark for beetles, twigs, bark, leaves, lichen and even stacked roof shingles for critters like Lady Bugs seeking shelter. 

Pollinator Tower is open, but, construction is continuing on the rooms through the winter. She expects the majority of residents to begin moving in next Spring. "When solitary bees emerge from their winter homes in the spring they'll be looking for accommodations to rear their young. I'm hoping that the Tower's sunny location and close proximity to a wildflower garden will appeal to them and the many varieties of native pollinators." 

Historically, insect condominiums have been popular in Europe where deforestation has led to a decline in natural habitats. Here in the states it's not unusual to find them at botanical gardens or zoos where they are important educational tools. Gail believes that providing a habitat for native bees and other pollinators is necessary for urban and suburban gardeners who want to have success with growing vegetables, fruit or flowers. "When you consider that many of these gardens are set in a landscape devoid of a natural habitat it has become essential to provide artificial ones. I hope Pollinator Tower is an inspiration to others. They are easy to build, require minimal expense, use recycled materials and are fun to design and decorate."

The grand opening is Monday, December 10, 2012. Stop by Clay and Limestone.com when Gail will share the Tower's story, photos and details on materials and the building process.

*Bobbie Peachey clip art

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.