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Q&A: Bees in the Butterfly Garden
Answer: That's a real dilemma. Any time you have flowers, you'll have bees around. As you probably know, honeybees and wild "solitary" bees, unlike wasps and yellowjackets, generally won't bother you unless you inadvertantly step on them or otherwise really disturb them (and I know this, I'm a beekeeper!) They are not naturally aggressive. Bees are very attracted to the following flowers: alfalfa, clover, goldenrod, milkweed, salvias, and buckwheat. It's likely that if your schoolyard lawn has clover in it, you already have lots of bees around the children. You might try to choose flowers will long, tubular shapes, or flowers with long spurs, like monarda (bee balm), coneflowers, columbine, and nasturtium. A butterfly has a long proboscis and can getto the nectar in these plants better than bees can, so you might see fewer bees on these flowers -- though I can't say for sure. Another possibility is to plant tall, flowering plants in the center of the garden, and surround it with foliage plants and non-flowering ground covers. This way, the bees should be drawn to the center, and leave the edges of the garden relatively bee-free. Finally, as a bee-lover, I would use this opportunity to show children the wonders of all insect life. Honeybees, especially, are fascinating creatures, with elaborate social structures, and can be used to teach all sorts of lessons such as animal adaptations, honey production, etc. After all, a child that learns about bees might become less afraid, and less likely to swat at them (a sure way of inviting a sting). I hope this helps!
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Posted Comments:
10-31-2008 11:32
Dixie Grothe wrote:
Bees in the butterfy garden
As a lot of you, I love to garden and have bees around all the time. I can vouch for the fact that left alone, bees are very tolerant of people's presence in the garden. The very wise answers and helpful suggestions given will teach children so they won't be fearful. Most fears are learned either by ignorance or wrong teaching. So instead of protecting ignorance, let's teach them!
10-31-2008 07:46
Pam Sloan wrote:
Bees in the butterfly garden
As a retired teacher,I observed chilren being very comfortable in the garden around bees, butterflies and birds. Children have a natural curiosity that is nourished through classroom gardens. It is a place where they learn to interact with their environment in a positive way. Attract the bees too!
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