Chicken Coop Chatter©
Though we are all about chickens, we are also all about being good stewards to the land we live and thrive on. So we feel it is our duty to do what we are able to do, to provide a healthy environment not just for our chickens, but for all the creatures we co-exist with on a daily basis.
We do not raise honey bees, however our father and brother in law both did raise bees, so we have been exposed to the processes throughout our lives and know the importance of the bees, as well as the ongoing deficit in the honey bee populations. For a number of years I have been raising the mason bees to help fill the gap of pollination that is so necessary to good garden and fruit crops.
I bought some colored pebbles and glass disks sometime back at the dollar store. I think they were $1.00 per bag or maybe 2/$1.00 and came in a variety of colors. They are usually used in floral arranging and you should be able to find them at craft stores and Walmart or Kmart stores in their craft or floral sections. I used some of them in my Beta fish vase and made a few Beta Fish gifts, but had some left over. So, since we're in orchard country and since so many bees have died off, I decided to use those pebbles to make a safe Honey Bee Nectar reservoir to help offer them needed water and sugar nectar to help keep their hives thriving and to help them find safe, usable nectar even when their favorite flowers are not in bloom in early spring and late fall.
Involving the kidlets in making the reservoirs will be a learning opportunity and a study of the bee and insect habits. They will learn the importance of the bees to us and our environment, so take the opportunity to teach them and allow them to participate in this simple kid friendly project.
What you Need:
Pebbles (glass or natural) Clean and sterilized
Water (non-chlorinated--see note below)
Sugar (Pure Cane Sugar)
Shallow Container
(Plant stand: Optional, but a nice way to display, for discreet viewing
Directions:
Mix a ratio 1:1 of non-chlorinated water and sugar for early spring feeding. A ratio of 1:2 (water to sugar) in fall for a heavier syrup. If you do not have non-chlorinated or well water, allow chlorinated water to stand overnight or you can use bottled water. Heat the water and sugar to dissolve. Allow to cool.
Set up a clean, shallow dish, such as a bird bath tray, pie tin, shallow recycled container or shallow serving bowl.
Add the clean/sterilized pebbles.
Pour the cooled water/sugar solution over the pebbles, to just barely cover. The bees and other nectar loving insects need resting spots: The liquid should be just deep enough for the insects to still be able to rest on the pebbles with easy access to the nectar.
Set the tray in a shaded area or in the flower bed for easy access for the bees.
PRECAUTION: If you or others are allergic to bees, set the nectar station up in an area that you will not be so apt to be in the path of the bees as they are feeding at the nectar station.
IMPORTANT: Clean the nectar station every couple of weeks and replenish the simple syrup solution as needed.
Do NOT use diet sweeteners, use ONLY pure cane sugar.
Bee feeding stations have been provided for many years by bee keepers as resting spots for bees that are working hard to collect pollen, but get tired and weary before they are able to return to their hives.
TIP: It's one small, easy effort we can do to make the plight of the bees a little easier, so we have bees around in the future. And if you have not set up your mason bee nests, please view my tutorial on making a mason bee nest/house as well. The masons take up a lot of gap that the honey bees have not been able to fulfill pollinating our fruit trees and garden plants. Here in JFA country, the Blue Orchard bee are raised by the orchardmen as pollinators, but there are cutter bees and other mason type bees available at garden centers or online garden suppliers. So we need to keep both them and the honey bees as healthy and safe as possible. Once the bees and other insects find the nectar reservoir they will rely upon you to keep it full for them.
TIP: You can use fresh cool water during the summer months when pollen and nectar is readily available. The honey bees will appreciate a nice refreshing respite on their busy, daily treks.
PRECAUTION: The nectar stations may attract hornets, butterflies and even hummingbirds, so be sure to provide a safe environment for anyone that may have allergies. Out of direct sunlight is preferred, so the nectar doesn't mold from the direct sunlight. Refill as needed, but try not to spill it or it will attract unwanted ants.
Your own gardens, herb, vegetable and flower as well as fruit trees, and farm community will thank you for making these small efforts to help the bees thrive.
NOTE: Your Nectar station will only be providing needed water and some sugar to the honey bee diet that they need for producing the honey and feeding their young. It is not a complete source of nutrients. The collection of pollens with all the essential minerals, vitamins and amino acids is still vital to the health and vigor of the honey bees.
NOTE: To sterilize the pebbles, wash thoroughly with soapy water, rinse. Place the pebbles in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Drain, and add to your shallow container.
While providing a nectar station, you can also provide a good source of pollen for the bees by planting a variety of nectar rich plants and flowers that bees will love. One that stands out is Bee Balm. But my purple asters and blue globe thistles have always been a non-stop attraction to the honey bees for the pollen. Below is an excerpted list provided by Organic Gardening® for plants that your bee populations will love and that I either currently grow or have grown in the past. Of course many plants in your community or own yard provide pollen for bees, but knowing ones that they favor will give you an opportunity to add those to your garden areas.
A Honey Bee Menu for Pollen and Nectar http://www.organicgardening.com/tags/honey-bee-menu-for-pollen-and-nectar Even if you can’t keep bees yourself, you can still garden for them.
By Janet Davis
Spring and Summer Bulbs
- Purple flowering onions (Allium spp.)
- Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum)
- Siberian squill (Scilla sibirica)
- Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
- Lesser calamint (Calamintha nepeta)
- Cornflowers (Centaurea spp.)
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Globe thistles (Echinops spp.)
- Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)
- Cranesbills (Geranium spp.)
- Fall sedums (Hylotelephiumtelephium)
- Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica)
- Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
- Meadow sage (Salvia nemorosa)
- Fall asters (Symphyotricum spp.)
- California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
- Sunflower* (Helianthus annuus)
- Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena)
- Chives and onions (Allium spp.)
- Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
- Mints (Mentha spp.)
- Catmints (Nepeta spp.)
- Oreganos (Origanum spp.)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Rue (Ruta graveolens)
- Sage (Salvia officinalis)
- Thyme (Thymus spp.)
- Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
- Lavenders (Lavandula spp.)
- Maples (Acer spp.)
- Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- Fruit trees, especially apple, plum, and cherry (Malus and Prunus spp.)
- Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
- Willows (Salix spp.)
Weeds
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
- Clovers (Trifolium and Melilotus spp.)
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For further study about honey bees and their needs, please refer to the links below:
http://www.organicgardening.com/tags/honey-bee-menu-for-pollen-and-nectar
http://beeinformed.org/2012/12/nectar-pollen-and-pollen-substitute-keys-to-a-healthy-colonly/
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/files/147617.pdf
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Comments:
Linda B. --Will do this! Fantasstic! This looks like it would be way more fun to watch them.
Dayna S-- I am going to make one.
For pollen rich Wildflower seeds and Bee Keeping information, please refer to the sources below: