Interesting.

I recently read a book (A Short History of the Honey Bee) which said that researchers were looking at a connection between colony collapse and queen bees imported from Australia--if I remember correctly.

Hope they find out what it is for sure.

I've always considered biodiversity desirable, but it was not a reasoned choice. It's good to see that there's evidence to support, not only my bias, but also hedges, woods, and wildflower-filled meadows. Diversity lives!
Thanks for posting this.
Melissa

I have noticed an increase (more like reintroduction) in honeybees the last few seasons. At the same time, the amount of clover in my lawn has significantly increased.

Giving up on the perfect lawn is a boon to many critters.

It seems they can't meet their nutritional requirements from just one source, but must have several kinds of pollen during the day.

I also have noticed an increase in honeybees last summer, in eastern MA and RI. Don't know why but I'm happy about it.

Carol

The BBC thing makes sense, maybe one day we can do something about it.

We bought our first house last year, which was a foreclosure and had a severely neglected yard. It seems we had more bee's than any of my other neighbors, and it could have been from all of the weeds that took over the lawn. I loved those little guys though, hopefully all of the roses I've been planting will help out too.

Thanks for the interesting info monarda!

I saw a similar article from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, stressing the importance of commercial growers (such as apple producers in our area) needing to plant hedgerows of bee friendly plants between the orchards. They may lose a little production, but it would be much better than losing the bees for pollination.

The article also said it's important for gardeners to remember that bees have a harder time with doubled flowers that are harder to access. We have bumblebees, rather than honeybees, so I've been planting lavender, butterfly bushes, sunflowers and coneflowers, as well as some single petal roses. They also seem to love DA's Tamora, as a few slept in the flowers, as the nights got colder last summer :)

Okay, I know you guys are going to notice this (but I am a newbie) LOL.

A single petal rose would look pretty sad, so obviously I meant (according to my Barron's Encyclopedia of Roses book) single flower with 5 to 9 petals or semidouble flower with 10 to 19 petals :)

It's OK Lass -- For a while, the "correct" term per-ARS WAS "Single-Petalled." Then, a few years back, they changed it [?back?] to "Single."

I've been told that someone higher up on our hillside keeps bees, which probably accounts in part for the numbers of honeybees we host.
We have many single-to-semi-double roses (because those blooms open best in our cool, dank times) and the bees dance around them all day.
They also seem to enjoy our salvias and some of the lavenders. And I wonder what sort of honey that beekeeper is getting up there.

Jeri

FWIW: I have encouraged the naturalization of the wild arugula, Diplotaxis muralis, to grow in and around my garden to give us a constant supply for salads. This is the perennial arugula that lasts for several years not the annual, Eruca vesicaria; it is often sold as "rustic," "wild" or "sylvetta" arugula.

This plant seeds itself easily and I selectively weed to encourage it. It flowers several times a year with bright yellow flowers. Honeybees love these flowers! It is not unusual to see dozens of bees buzzing around the arugula visiting each little yellow flower. When the arugula is flowering it makes a yellow haze there are so many little flowers. I love this plant as an ornamental, as a salad green, and as a source of nectar for the bees.

We must invest in our future and do something about it -- and unfortunately (again according to a report in the BBC), time is running out.

Here is a link that might be useful: Biodiversity nears 'point of no return'

When we bought our house there were very few bees to be seen and the area around the house was planted primarily with grass. We took all that out, planted roses and companion plants, and extended the plantings further out, into areas that had consisted of weeds and various groundcover succulents. We have lots of bees now! They especially love marjoram which flowers for the better part of the year, lavender, sea lavender, rosemary, butterfly bushes and of course the roses. The same plants that please us so much also seem to please the bees. There must be a deeper meaning in that somewhere.

Ingrid

The same plants that please us so much also seem to please the bees.

This has long been true. For whatever reason floral odors we find enjoyable are also usually enjoyed by honeybees (& I suspect by most bees in general; there are thousands of other species of bees, too).

Meanwhile there are also flowers that smell quite nasty to us and also to bees, giving off odors such as manure, carrion, & rotten fish. Those flowers are trying to attract carrion feeders such as house flies, bot flies, & various carrion beetles. Instead of using bees for pollination those flowers use the carrion flies & beetles to get their flowers pollinated.

Thanks for posting this info, monarda.
When we moved into our new subdivision 16 years ago, there were plenty of bumble bees. I haven't seen a single bumble bee here for 10 years. I miss them. Thankfully, I do see some honey bees, but not nearly enough of them.

Randy

Bumble bees are drawn to flowering trees and shrubs that produce a floral odor that is not particularly pleasant.

When we moved into our new subdivision 16 years ago, there were plenty of bumble bees. I haven't seen a single bumble bee here for 10 years. I miss them.

Bumble bees are various species of bees in the genus Bombus, and they're native. Honey bees are Apis mellifera, and all of them are imported.

If you've lost bumble bees and you live in a recently developed area I suspect the loss has something to do with the change in land use. Bumble bees usually live underground in abandoned mouse holes & such, with new mated queens finding nooks and crannies near the ground in which to hibernate (sort of) during the winter, then beginning brand new colonies each spring. (Each colony only exists for one growing season.) With big land use changes, and the loss of the previous environment and its flowers I could imagine that wiping out bumble bee populations.

Yet another reason to cease spraying, both for pests, and "weeds", I have seen the numbers of honeybees slowly grow out where I live in the country (OH. I do not treat my grass with any thing and there are thousand of violets in spring, spring beauties, dandelions, etc, and white clover and red. I get several types of bumblebees, and as I said gradually more honeybees, although I've been told that those I see are domesticated as the wild ones have all died. I have done my part in plant diversity! I try to grow all kinds of flowers, herbs, and fruit trees! and I try not to use anything that would harm them.
roseberri

Bumblebees like apple trees and plum trees. Our apple tree is covered in the spring...and hums when you walk by :)

I've seen the same recommendation for birds and bees in new developments. Do not spray your lawn or plants. Use hedgerows rather than fences. If everyone must have a fence, plant shrubs in front and use large and small trees in your yard, especially fruit trees. Have a bird bath and also, put a rock in the bottom, so the bugs can use it too.

For a while it seemed people were more concerned about their lawn, but lately, I've seen a lot more articles on bringing birds, bees and butterflies back to the subdivisions. I hope it works :)

More reason for being a "no spray" plant grower. If I end up with a plant that can't do well without help from sprays, I replace it. I had tons of bees over last Summer. Here's a tip, especially in hot dry Summer areas.-I placed a big ol 3 tier fountain along the "path" that I wanted the bees to follow. The bees love having a nice fresh water source. On a hot day, they belly up to the fountain before they go and hang out in the fruit trees.

Here in the south we have been invaded by the Africanized bee, which is very agggressive and chases you .... bees also depend on the temperature, when it is warmer here in the winter they come out.. also, bee keepers bring their hives here in the winter, from up north, especially near the orange groves, so the bees can make orange blossom honey.... sally

Thank you Monarda,
your post is of great interest to me.
I've been interested in creating more biodiversity in my rose garden after I read that biodiversity in rose garden would attract more beneficial insects. When I moved onto the property there was a "rosebushes only" type of garden, c. 200 rosebushes and bare dirt and rarely a bee in sight.
After I planted violets, sweet alyssum and Mother-of Thyme so many bees showed up that my ankles got stung a couple times and I've learned to not plant the last two plants along a pathway or stepping stone because the honeybees seem to love them best. I'm happy because the rose garden has a much lovelier appearance from being more lush and green.
Luxrosa

Mother-of Thyme

The thyme species (Mother-of-Thyme included) are in the mint family. There are a whole slew of plants in the mint family that the bees & butterflies are mad for when they bloom!

Lavender is another one. The plants are gone & need to be replaced, but a few years back I had a line of Hidcote lavenders along the bed near my sidewalk. When they were in bloom I saw not only bumble bees, but a couple of species of solitary bees, and also skippers (a sort-of form of butterfly).

Yes, my pyrocanthia puts of a blooming smell that can be overpowering, almost fishy. But it's covered in tiny bees.

Ah! I had forgotten about the scent of firethorn. Yes, you're right. It's a weird one. It's both sweet and sort of foetid or rancid at the same time.

Thank you for the info, York_rose. That makes perfect sense.

Randy

Another very recent view, see:

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/754993--finally-a-suspect-in-bee-decline

Here is a link that might be useful: link for above

Hmmmmm..................

One of the weird things about CCD is that the adults suddenly leave and completely abandon the hive altogether, and on top of that the usual beehive raiders that come in to eat the honey, pollen, & wax don't show up.

I wonder whether his alternate hypothesis accounts for that as well.

If you want to help the bees put out some buckwheat. Once that starts to bloom everything will show up for the dinner. Low cost regular Buckwheat grown as a soil amendment. Everything under the sun will show up. That will let you know what is available in your ecosystem.