World Bee Day!

Happy World Bee Day!

Many people love bees and want to help bees. More recently this help has come in the form of bee hotels/houses. These are meant to provide habitat for many solitary native bees. And it's great that people want to help these little guys out, but just Bee careful using bee houses. It can take more work than one might think to keep the bees happy and healthy.

If not cleaned properly, fungus and bacteria can accumulate and make these places a vector for disease. The hole size is also important to consider. If the holes are too small, bees can get injured or stuck. If the holes are too big, the bees won't feel safe. You also don't want a hotel with too many holes. These bees don't want to live in a colony and the more holes, the higher the chance to spread disease. While some bee hotels can work, we suggest doing extensive research before putting one up.

But perhaps a better way to help bees is through your garden. You can best help the native bees by planting a wide variety of native flowers in your garden and allowing spaces for the bees to make homes on their own. Also add a water source with some rocks so the bees have easy access to water without drowning. Providing the right habitat for your bees is the best thing you can do for them.