Protecting Pollinators/ Onslow County Beekeepers Offer Beekeeping Short Course

Honeybee populations have declined worldwide in recent years and many gardeners are coming to understand that protecting pollinator insects – particularly honeybees but native bees as well – is increasingly important.  Three quarter of the earth’s flowering plants rely on insects or animals to mediate pollination including one third of the world’s crops.  Many fruit and vegetable crops rely on insect pollinators including apples, blueberries, peaches, strawberries, cucumbers, squash, and melons.

Several factors have been identified in bee population decline including parasites and diseases, poor nutrition, habitat loss, pesticides and environmental stress.  While we cannot address all of these issues, gardeners should recognize the importance of pollinator insects and can take steps to protect pollinators in and around the garden. 

Honeybees are the most well known pollinator.  They are native to Europe and are often managed for pollination in gardens and agricultural crops because they form colonies and are excellent pollinators – often flying 2 miles or more from the hive.  Native pollinators, while less well known, play an important role as well.  There are over 4000 species of native bees in the US.  Native bees are also valuable crop pollinators.  While they do not range as far as honeybees, native bees are very efficient and are more active in inclement weather than honeybees.  Native bees also play an important role pollinating wild plants and sustaining native ecosystems.  The greater the diversity of bees in an area, the better the pollination.  While research has focused more on protecting honeybees, the same steps that protect honeybees will also protect native bees. 

First, use pesticides sparingly and only as needed.  Pesticides include insecticides (chemicals used to kill insects), fungicides (chemicals used to control fungi), herbicides (chemicals used to kill plants) and miticides (chemicals used to kill mites).  While it seems apparent that insecticides are a threat to bees, other pesticides can also be toxic to bees. 

Make sure that you have plant problems accurately diagnosed prior to applying a pesticide.  Utilize integrated pest management practices prior to resorting to chemical pest control.  Building healthy soils, choosing the right plant for the right place, good sanitation and optimum watering can help reduce pest problems in the garden.  Handpicking, row covers and fostering beneficial insects can help reduce pest pressures. 

When insecticides must be used, consider the formulation.  Powdered formulations generally last until the next rainfall and can gather on the bee’s body and be carried back to the hive.  For this reason, use liquid formulations when possible.  Apply insecticides late in the day when most bee activity has diminished for the day.  Never apply insecticides to plants with open flowers that are being actively foraged by bees and be careful to avoid pesticide drift on to adjacent weeds or crops that are in flower.  Even following appropriate measures, many insecticides have residual toxicity that lingers for 24 hours or longer on the plant.  It is important to note that insecticides labeled natural or organically approved can still be toxic to bees, so make sure that you read and follow all label directions regardless of the pesticide being used. 

Provide a bee friendly landscape including diverse pollen and nectar sources for bees at various times of the year.  Include flowering plants such as tulip poplar, sourwood, magnolia, red maple, serviceberry, various fruit trees, asters, black-eyed susan, goldenrod, coneflowers, and monarda.  Choose single flowered forms over double flowered forms (which are harder if not impossible for pollinators to forage).  Allow some crop plants to go to bloom – bees love the flowers of broccoli, mustard, carrots, and herbs such as basil, cilantro, dill and mints.  Leave naturalized portions of the yard with blooming weeds such as clover, henbit and dandelion.  Include native plants to support native bee populations.  For a full list for pollinator plants visit http://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-pollinatorconservation/. 

Preserve nesting habitat for native bees including ground-nesting bees.  70% of native bees nest in the ground.  They prefer well-drained sunny areas with sparse vegetation.  Most native bees are solitary with each female preparing her own nest.  While the bees may be communal (many nesting in the same area), their solitary nature means that they are not aggressive.  Preserve their nesting areas by not disturbing them.  Other natives nest in wood or hollow stems.  Where safe, leave dead trees standing.  Alternatively, create bee blocks by drilling holes in a wooden block or bundling hollow stems or straw together and place them in a location receiving morning sun about 4 feet above the ground.

Honeybees swarm in the spring and summer as a way to manage the hive.  If you find a honeybee swarm near your home, contact a local beekeeper.  Many beekeepers welcome a chance to collect a swarm to start a new colony.  If you are interested in learning more about beekeeping, join your local beekeeping association.  In Onslow County, the Onslow County Beekeepers meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm at the Onslow County Multipurpose Building at 4024 Richlands Highway.  Between meetings, call the Extension Office at 910.455.5873 for current contact information or to report a honeybee swarm.  

For more information about pollinators of all sorts:

http://pollinator.org/PDFs/Guides/OuterCoastalrx7FINAL.pdf

Are you interested in beekeeping?  Do you want to learn more?  If so, the Onslow County Beekeepers are offering a spring Beekeeping Short Course.  This three-day class includes comprehensive training and an end of course test.  The class will be held at the Onslow County Cooperative Extension Office on February 28, March 7 and March 14 from 8 am until noon each day. 

Contact the Onslow County Beekeepers for more information and to register:  Eric Talley, President, at 910.389.7709 or via email at erictalley@ec.rr.com.  Cost is $30 per person or $40 for a couple that shares a book.