Native plants ideal support for bees

His theme was billed as ‘Planting for Bees’ and he did touch on this subject, but not until he had addressed a variation on the theme suggested by the title, a much more important issue.

The most important ‘planting’ to be done, he strongly emphasised in his infectious flamboyant style, is the sowing of seeds of awareness of the importance of bees into the public consciousness.

There is widespread apprehension of bees in the community and beekeepers must tell their story to inform and dispel this fear and create awareness of the vital role bees play in our social and ecological environment.

They must influence government to ensure that policy and guidelines are made by beekeepers for bees and their future.

Government has to respond to ‘the squeaky wheel’.

It needs a spray of oil before it gains momentum.

Beekeepers cannot just be quiet and hope, they must educate, talk to schools, ‘planting’ ideas and information, use social media to tell the story of bees and beekeeping.

This is as important as planting flowers in community gardens.

Costa then turned the focus to bee friendly flowering plants, with advice to keep a nature watch diary of blooming cycles and their exploitation by bees so one can plant accordingly.

Support your local plant nurseries because if they succumb to the big retailers, we may lose biodiversity.

Some books are devoted to plants friendly to bees.

In his book ‘The Bee Friendly Garden’, Doug Purdie, former president of The Amateur Beekeepers’ Association, introduces the subject with a masterly explanation of the need for action.

Modern urban development destroys the environment for bees, replacing flower gardens with concrete or wood chip covered beds with low maintenance non-flowering plants.

The book is well illustrated with information about edible plants, native plants and exotic plants, and goes on to address means of encouraging bees into the garden.