Pollinator-friendly Plants
Honey bees need reliable nectar and pollen sources to produce honey. Pollen is their protein source! Planting nectar and pollen bearing plants strategically would enable honey bees to produce bundles of nutritious food. Like humans, honey bees need a strong nutrition to execute daily tasks efficiently.
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Here is a list of helpful pollinator-friendly plants:
MARIGOLDS: Not only are Marigolds a great source of nectar and pollen (protein) for honey bees, they are also quite effective as an insect repellant in your garden. The marigold's scent repels whiteflies, cabbage worms, tomato hornworms, and even those eternally annoying mosquitoes; FLOWERING TREES: BLACK LOCUST and LINDEN
DAHLIAS, CHRYSANTHEMUMS
DANDELIONS, CLOVER
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Additionally, honey bees can work for YOU- pollinating your garden vegetabe plants!
The lovely flowers embarrass me,
They make me regret I am not a bee.
Emily Dickinson
Pollen Pants!
In this picture, honey bees are seen going in and out of the hive wearing what is called "pollen pants". This is where forager bees put the pollen they collected throughout their flight!
Honey bees and produce
There are many pollinators on our planet, so why are honey bees so important? Honey bees are the only portable pollinators, meaning that farmers across the globe can pollinate their crops efficiently.