How's the Bee Situation in Your Garden?

[NJCher]

There was a post at DU that told of a very bad situation with the bees this year. The article was at CBS News.

I had cornflower (Bachelor's Button, pictured below) coming up and thought it would be great for the bees. I even looked it up and found that it did, indeed. The trouble is that I have full beds of beautiful, bright purple-blue cornflower and I've seen no bees. I am significantly troubled. I am 7a or b, so maybe it's a bit early?

Are you seeing bees on your spring flowers?

[amerikat]

1. Very few bees in upstate NY.

There are 2 sets of hives about a quarter mile from my garden. Had millions of dandelions but few bees.

[MiHale]

2. Northern Michigan...

Lots of early honey bees..but I have a dandelion paradise. Ground bees are abundant. Bumblebees come a little later…we had plenty last year. Also have little tiny bees, probably less than an inch long looking like they are doing the same activity as honey bees.
Lots of apple blossoms around that helps plus the pines are pollinating

[littlemissmartypants]

3. I'm finding dead bumblebees. It worries me.

I have several enormous azaleas and the bees are abundant as long as they're blooming. But now, I only have a couple of hybrid plants that are still blooming.

The gardenias have started blooming now so I hope the bees will stick around a little while longer.

I'm hoping to add more bee and dragonfly friendly plants soon after I meet with my landscaper next week. Dragonflies are supposed to eat mosquitoes.

The cornflower shot is really lovely, Cher!

❤️

[Keepthesoulalive]

4. Plenty of carpenter bees

I try to have flowering bushes or trees for 8 months. Lilacs , Rhododendrons, Roses, veggie flowers and Mexican sunflowers. A diverse system brings in many different types of pollinators. My experience, yours may differ.

[2MuchNoise]

5. I have lots of clover and buttercups in my yard and lots of honey bees.

I'm in central Maryland.

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Still too early where I'm at (In STLMO). Don't really have too many flowers blooming yet, or a very few...will keep

an eye out for...

[RoadRunner]

7. Not good here (New Mexico)

Only a few on my peach trees but I do have peaches

[zuul]

8. Very few bees in New Orleans.

I have lots of flowering plants that attracted lots of bees years ago. I see very few bees these days. It’s scary.

[Kali]

9. SE Arizona

Had thousands at the little plastic pond I keep out for them a month or so ago.

[Emile]

10. According to my wife, she is seeing bees on her flowers.

[58Sunliner]

11. I have carpenters and other bees. Wasps and some other flying pollinators.

They pollinated the fruit trees, blueberries, flowers and now my vegetable garden. They love my apricot tree.

[Figarosmom]

12. A bit early for bees here

But the butterflies have been full. A lot more than I've seen in years.

[get the red out]

13. Bees showing up in Lexington, KY

I have clover in my yard and I am starting to see them. I know of two local beekeepers on the outskirts of town (they sell honey in our area and I checked where they are on google maps), so I think my neighborhood Is a good stop for them. I have a veggie garden in back but almost everyone in my neighborhood is into flowers.

[NJCher]

14. I am finally seeing a few

I tried to take a pic but they were so few and far between that I couldn't catch a bee on a flower.

However, I saw three.

That's better than -0-.

Keeping the lights on for you little bees!

I'm hoping that next time I am around that bed there will be more.