Bee Hive

[Christian1971]

We moved in to our new house last summer. I just learned that our neighborhood farmer is tending honey bee hive just past our property.
Can you recommend any flowers/herbs that would attract these bees to our veggie garden. None of us are allergic to bee stings.

[applestar]

Clover, definitely. You could intermix into your lawn.
Also, any herb in mint family and oregano and basil in bloom.
Summer Sweet shrub, Sunflowers, Sedum, ....

Apple tree blossoms...

[catgrass]

Anything sage. Pineapple sage is one of the best. They love sunflowers-mexican heather, zinnias. I don't know where you are, but yes, anything in the mint family that you will let flower. Some herbs like to take over, so you might want to put them in a pot.

[imafan26]

Pretty much anything in bloom but they do like small tubular flowers
Basil, alyssum, avocado, citrus trees, sage, sunflowers, clover, lavender, verbena, hyssop.

Honey will taste different depending on what nectar and pollen the bees are feeding on and the color will also change.

Most of the foraging bees are not aggressive especially if they are not Africanized. I have bees that visit my alyssum, cuphea, sage, lavender, verbena, basil, and sunflowers when they are in bloom. The will come mainly in the mornings after the sun has warmed up and again in the afternoons. I don't usually see the bees in the cold part of the morning or at middday (except a few strays when there aren't many flowers around). They get used to you being around but you do need to be careful what you touch. I was weeding my ground cover once and did not realize a bee was on my pick and I got stung. Usually, I can stand less than a foot from foraging bees and they usually give a warning buzz to back off when I get too close. If I need to work somewhere they are foraging. I gently push them with a shower from the garden hose just in the section I need to work. They usually get the message and move to another part.

[shadylane]

In a controlled boarder. Annise hyssop or korean mint- "agastache foeniculum" or known as "The Fragrant Giant" is Native to North American. Being a perennial herb, has cleansing antibacterial properties. Makes a great tea. It is also know as "Wonder Honey Plant." Which I am sure your neighbor will be delighted to have it as a neighboring food source. Bees are on them from morning til night. It is one of the longest bloomers from June through frost.

[jal_ut]

I swear I replied to this post but it does not show up?????????????????????????

[jal_ut]

Try again.
Don't worry the bees will find your flowers. They poke their little noses in everything.
Bees do love clover, squash and cucumber blooms. These plants need an insect pollinator.
Bees also love corn pollen, but the bees are not necessary for the corn to pollinate since
the wind does the job.
Bees forage over a two mile radius area. Many acres. What little we could possibly plant in
a flower bed will not have much impact on the overall needs of the bees. Yes they will work your flowers, but it takes acres to support a hive.
Foraging bees do not normally sting, unless you happen to trap it somehow. They do sting in defense of their home.

[Gary350]

If it were me I would not be planting anything that will attact bees away from my garden. I want the bees in my garden not some place else.

[shadylane]

Try again.
Don't worry the bees will find your flowers. They poke their little noses in everything.
Bees do love clover, squash and cucumber blooms. These plants need an insect pollinator.
Bees also love corn pollen, but the bees are not necessary for the corn to pollinate since
the wind does the job.
Bees forage over a two mile radius area. Many acres. What little we could possibly plant in
a flower bed will not have much impact on the overall needs of the bees. Yes they will work your flowers, but it takes acres to support a hive.
Foraging bees do not normally sting, unless you happen to trap it somehow. They do sting in defense of their home.

I may have jinxed it jal_ut
Just to add to your information a little more for those that don't know how much work the bees have in making one pound of honey. It's takes like 80,000 trips and 1/2 that more in searching for flowers. It's in the fields that is dangerous to them with sprays. If they survive the spray and die before they reach their hive... it is possible that the hive can be saved.
something to think about when reaching for the jar of honey.

[Christian1971]

Last fall I noticed dozens of bees landing on a wet carpet remnant that was left outside. They must have been attracted to the moisture?

[jal_ut]

Want bees? I keep bees. I put together a short tutorial on how to hive package bees. You can get a hive or two if you would like bees. Its a great hobby.

https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/Pack ... gebees.htm

[Christian1971]

Want bees? I keep bees. I put together a short tutorial on how to hive package bees. You can get a hive or two if you would like bees. Its a great hobby.

https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/Pack ... gebees.htm

That sounds very interesting. Any magazine, book or website you can recommend that covers beekeeping. This year I will be busy enough learning to garden. But don't mind doing some reading on beekeeping.

[jal_ut]

https://www.amazon.com/Hive-Honey-Dadant ... +honey+bee

Here is a good book.

[imafan26]

Just a thing I recently learned. Foraging bees are usually the older bees and are more interested in gathering nectar and pollen then attacking intruders. They will only sting if threatened. However, there are guard bees, whose job is to protect the hive and they will attack anything that gets too close to their territory.

I have bees on the basil and alyssum everyday. On cloudy days they will be there most of the day. Basil, allyssum, and cuphea bloom year round for me. I don't cut the basil flowers off anymore so the bees can have the nectar. Right now they are foraging on the basil, green onions, cuphea, allyssum and marigolds.

[jal_ut]

Check this out:

https://www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-s ... gQod9VQAtg

They have anything you may want, from books, to clothing, to bees and equipment.

[jal_ut]

Want a book on beekeeping?

https://www.amazon.com/The-Hive-Honey-Be ... J9XA1G2AKZ


https://www.amazon.com/The-ABC-XYZ-Bee-C ... 093602822X