Hello! 

Tomorrow is the first day of spring and the weather has been favorable for the bees. We're noticing a lot of activity in our bee yard and are sending nucleus hives home with customers twice weekly. Very soon our 3 lb. Packages (includes a mated queen) will be available for pick up. The price increases on Monday, March 22 so please be sure to order your Package this weekend if you'd like to receive the best pricing. Our queen grafting is underway as well. If you're needing a queen, you can pre-order BeeCo queens here. 

Since many of you have gardens and are outside enjoying this beautiful weather, we also wanted to share about creating habitat for bees and other pollinators. Bees are attracted to flowers for nectar and pollen. The flowers are recognized by their color, form and scent. Scent is the most important of these signals. Color pattern and movement in the wind also create a recognizable and attractive visual pattern to bees.

The ‘pollen basket’ and other specialized hairs on a bee’s body carry pollen back to the colony. Nectar is gathered in the bee’s honey stomach and transferred into the hive. There it is converted into honey. It has been estimated that bees visit 2 million flowers to produce a one-pound jar of honey.

Foraging bees may fly over 4 miles to seek a favorable source and this varies over the season depending on flower distribution, attractiveness, as well as competition. On average, bee flies 15 - 20 flights per day or about 500 miles in her lifetime. Amazing, right?! 

So, what makes a good pollinator plant? A flower’s color, odor, shape, size, timing and reward (nectar or pollen) can increase or decrease the number of visits by specific pollinators. Bees can see ultraviolet, but not red. Many flowers signal pollinators by changing color at different stages of development and increasing the efficiency of the pollinators they depend upon. Contrasting patterns of flowers shapes, tints, and tones will direct pollinators toward pollen and nectar. Finally floral odors (minty, sweet, musky, ethereal, pungent or putrid) result from variations in chemical compounds and can attract pollinators over long distances. Here are some suggestions for middle Georgia: 

Native plants: aster, bee balm, blazing star, coreopsis, goldenrod, ironweed, milkweed, purple coneflower, salvia, mountain mint, wild geranmium, wingstem

Native trees and shrubs: blackberry, black locust, blueberry, buttonbush, coyote bush, lead plant, false indigo, redbud, serviceberry, steeplebush, tulip tree, black gum, wild lilac, 

Herbs and Ornamentals: basil, borage, catnip, coriander (cilantro), cosmos, hyssop, lavender, mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme

Bee pasture plants: alfalfa, buckwheat, clover, cowpea, mustard, partridge pea, radish, sainfoin, scarlet runner bean, sweet clover, vetch 

Finally, make sure the plants you purchase are NOT treated with long lasting insecticides. Clumps or groupings of similar plants (4 feet square) are especially attractive to pollinators. Please visit the Resource page on our website for additional information on Plants, Pollination, & Local Public Gardens. 

HAPPY PLANTING & THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!