What Plants do bees like?

[gazh]

cheers Zazen, im not too good at there terms! will borage self seed like cerinthe? the borage flowers look really nice, that's definitely got to be grown!

[zazen999]

cheers Zazen, im not too good at there terms! will borage self seed like cerinthe? the borage flowers look really nice, that's definitely got to be grown!

If you let them, yes they will.

[hardley12]

The bees like plants that have flowers because most flowers provide bees with nectar and pollen. Both substances are used by bees to honey, they eat their young and themselves and also to build the shelves "of wax to keep food and incubate young.

[Jeanied]

Just come back from the lottie where I have left a group of leeks to go to flower - and saw 4 kinds of bumblebee and quite a few honeybees all over them - flitting from there to the lavender and back.

[21again]

My lawn doesn't get mown very often, and at the moment has a lot of white clover blossoms. The bees are loving it.

We never normally get clover blossom on our lawn but it is covered in it at the minute.

Yep, the bees seem to like it here too.

[wellie]

Pay attention Ratty darling...?!
Wellie did mention Borage, on account of it being the third most visited plant in her kitchen garden..X

[Madasafish]

This could be useful..Pollen source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My bees love blackberries at present and poppies..

[weekendwellies]

I have noticed the bees here seem to prefer purple flowers over other coloured ones.

[GreatBlah]

I have noticed the bees here seem to prefer purple flowers over other coloured ones.

Apparently blue and purple flowers are associated with carrying more nectar.

[trish60]

Different bees seem to prefer different flowers. My hollyhock is dripping with pollen but has no visitors whereas my double poppies are covered with bees & it seems so much more difficult to get pollen from that flower.

[Madasafish]

Our bees love double poppies: it's the pollen I believe.. 3 bumblebees and two honey bees in one....

They also love Phacelia which is a green manure..

Green Manure Seeds - Phacelia

[sewer rat]

Pay attention Ratty darling...?!
Wellie did mention Borage, on account of it being the third most visited plant in her kitchen garden..X

ooooops , sorry sweetie

[wellie]

You're not wrong Madasafish, I grew Physalia/Phacelia (Phs... oh sh!t who cares how to spell it anyway?!) once as an ornamental flower. I totally neglected it in its pots, never got to finally plant them into the ground, but the bees didn't complain once, so I can understand where you're coming from.

And Ratty - no probs, you've been WAY too busy organising local village shows and EVERYTHING, to be keeping abreast of minor details on what bees are landing on (genuine respect my friend)

[Madasafish]

My bees at present are bringing in hypericum pollen (yellow) and blackberry pollen (grey).

Apparently they LOVE Giant Bellflower: I am going to try some next year..

[wellie]

Okay, I completely hold my hands up here in total confusion, if you'll just pardon me and my ignorance for a while.

A few months ago, we had a swarm of bees that decided to come visit the front of our home, and despite a bee-expert with a box, they decided to stay with Trousers and I, and made their home in between the mortar, and therefore within the cavity of the house.

For a week or two, there was huge activity on their part, and the swarming or activity just didn't decrease. And naturally, we let them 'get on with it', as ya just do when you live in the country, whether it be a bee, a fox or a rat...

And will somebody just tell me exactly WOT kicked off today to make the bees at the front of our home swarm once again?

Don't you just love the 'Private Life of A Cow' or 'A Chicken' etc...?! on the television these days?

Did I MISS the one they screened on the private life of a bee 'Down On The Funny Farm?!' and will there be honey dripping down on the inside of the walls behind the telly in the Autumn, or wot?!