Attracting Honey Bees

Honey bees will travel as far as they need to for nectar and pollen. All of us can create an environment that will encourage honey bees to visit, no matter how small the flower garden. One example of a flower that honey bees will forage to is the White Dutch Clover, which will grow on most neighborhood lawns. Also, squash plants in the garden is a feast for honeybees.

Please note that honey bees are highly susceptible to pesticides and insecticides. When applied to flowers in gardens, flower beds, lawns, and crops, honey bees ingest these toxins with the nectar, then share this harvested poison with their hive mates in the colony. Garden and lawn sprays, as well as industrial crop dusting have been blamed for the deaths of honey bees.

Since honeybees are insects, we all need to be very careful spraying pesticides and insecticides. If you must spray, using organic based sprays are much safer, never spray when flowers have bloomed, spraying at night when the honey bees go back to their hives is also safer for them and mowing the area where the spray will be placed will also help. We can all do our share of bringing back honeybee decline.

There are hundreds of honey bee plants, so find out what is the most favorable in your area by contacting your state beekeeping association or local beekeeping club or the nearest cooperative extension office. For instance, here in the Southeast, Maple trees are blooming providing important early nectar and pollen for a growing colony. The pollen on a Red Maple is a gray-brown, on a Norway Maple is an olive color and on a Box Elder Maple, the pollen is a light olive color.

Here is a list compiled by D. Sammataro and A. Harman of major flowers that attract honey bees in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States, but is by no means complete.

Spring Flowers

Willow, Skunk Cabbage, Spicebush, Alder, Trout Lily/Dogtooth Violet, Maples, Serviceberry/Shad or Shadblow/Juneberry, Henbit/Deadnettle, Eastern Redbud, Dandelion, Black Locust, Apple, Cherry, Blueberry, Berries (Strawberries, Raspberry, Blackberry), Clover, Tulip Poplar, Wild Mustard/Canola, Russian Olive/Autumn Olive

Summer/Autumn Flowers

Sweet Clovers, Linden/Basswood, Holly, Sourwood, Buckwheat, Sweet Corn, Sumac, Milkweed, Sunflower, Thistle, Purple Loosestrife, Spotted Knapweed, Boneset/Joe Pye Weed, Japanese Knotweed/Mexican Bamboo, New York Ironweed, Teasel, Summersweet/Sweet Pepperbush, Wingstem, Beggarticks/Tickseed Sunflower, Goldenrod, Asters