10 tips for a bee paradise in your own garden

Bees dying? Not with us! With these ten tips you can turn your garden into a paradise for busy bees without much effort.

The death of bees is on everyone's lips. More and more of the small insects are disappearing because they cannot find food or habitat in large cities and arable deserts. But many gardens are not bee-friendly either and offer neither a retreat nor a source of nutrients. The hard-working helpers are so important here: Not only do they produce the sweet honey that lands on our bread in the morning - they are also one of the most important pollinators for many plants. But how can you help the bees? With these ten tips you can transform your garden into a paradise for bees and thus make a contribution to stopping bee deaths.

Tip 1: bee-friendly plants

Roses, Geraniums and Dahlias are nice to look at, but are not at all one of the bee-friendly plants. The bulging flowers with the sweet fragrance promise the bees a rich meal, but in reality they have little or no food to offer the hard-working helpers. lavender, Bellflower and Nasturtiums Not only do they look good, they also provide the bees with enough pollen and nectar. Those who not only rely on decorative plants, but also want to benefit from their garden, also have a large selection of bee-friendly plants. Almost all fruit trees are real bee magnets, but so are spice beds thyme and numerous types of vegetables help the yellow-black heroes.

Tip 2: It's all about diversity

It is not just the type of plants that matters: if the bee comes across flowering plants for only a few weeks a year, it suffers just as hardship as if there were no plants at all. The remedy is very simple: Those who keep early, medium and late blooming plants not only have a blooming dream in the garden all year round, but also help the bees. They bloom in spring Crocuses first and help the bees to refuel after the long winter. In autumn, on the other hand, heather varieties Sedum plant and ivy with the final meals. Asters are particularly recommended: The Autumn aster blooms even until the first frost. Our Plantura bee pasture contains a wide variety of bee-friendly flowers and herbs. In this way, it offers the bees in your garden a constant supply of food for months.

Tip 3: Get rid of chemistry

Aphids, Snails, Ants? Get rid of the pests quickly. As soon as the first insect pests appear, hobby gardeners also turn to insecticides. What many forget, however: beneficial organisms such as bees are often not spared from the chemical clubs, even if they should not actually be driven away. If you only have a slight pest infestation, you should therefore first open it Home remedies to grab. Often these already bring the desired success and get by without any collateral damage. If reaching for the pesticide is unavoidable, pay attention to the manufacturer's instructions. The more pests that are combated with one agent, the greater the likelihood that bees will also suffer. Some companies also offer special sprays that are said to be particularly gentle on beneficial organisms. Nevertheless, the use of chemicals should be reserved for emergencies and the funds should not be applied over a large area, but only on the plants that are really affected.

Tip 4: pure nature

Gravel beds, short lawns and trimmed hedges are something beautiful. But if the bed is too tidy, it will hardly attract bees. After all, such meticulously tended gardens usually hardly offer any retreats or food for insects. Nevertheless, the garden does not have to go into neglect. Even small corners and changes can have a big impact. A bed full of wildflowers has its own charm and provides food for the bees all summer long. Even small corners where no lawn is mowed or some weeds in the garden are not particularly noticeable, but provide wildlife and a home. Deadwood and piles of stones in particular should not be removed: they provide wild bees with a place for their brood tubes so that they can reproduce.

Tip 5: a little water

A garden pond is not only beautiful, it is also a godsend for bees. Because what many forget: bees also need a sip of water every now and then. A pond (and however small it may be) can be a real lifesaver, especially in hot, dry months. And the fresh water doesn't just offer something to drink: numerous aquatic plants such as water lilies also bring a meal with you to refresh yourself. If you want to be particularly bee-friendly, you shouldn't keep any fish in your pond. No matter how peaceful the little swimmers look - many fish species do not refuse a bee as a small meal for in between.

Tip 6: the bee drinking trough

Is a pond too much work or just not possible in your garden? Do you only have a balcony? You can still offer the little helpers a refreshment. With the simplest means, the construction of a bee trough can be completed in a few minutes. Simply fill a shallow bowl with water, put a few stones in it so that they protrude from the surface of the water and the mini pond is ready. The bees can land on the stones and take a few sips from there without the risk of falling into the water and drowning. By the way, the ideal place for such a bee watering is next to a flowering bed. So after their drink, the animals don't have to go far to the next meal.

Tip 7: Welcome to the hotel

For wild bees in particular, the greatest challenge is not the search for food, but the right place to live. Dead wood, niches in the walls or piles of stones can no longer be found in many gardens and pose a major problem for insects. The few remaining nesting sites are hotly contested. An insect hotel can provide a simple remedy. This emergency shelter for homeless bees is no bigger than a bird feeder and can be easily made by yourself or purchased at many garden centers. But it is easier to drill nesting tubes in a few wooden blocks. With a diameter of 8 mm and a length of 8 cm, these small holes are the perfect retreat for mason bees, which do a good job especially in orchards.

Tip 8: how does a vegetable garden help?

A Vegetable patch having our own garden not only rewards us with fresh and healthy food, but is also a real savior, even if it doesn't seem like it at first glance. Those who obtain food from their own garden buy less (or even no food from industrial production if they are self-sufficient). Here, the fruits are often grown in large monocultures and treated with strong insecticides, as the farmers depend on a good yield. For bees, however, these huge fields are a horror. In the home garden stand on the other hand potatoes Next salad and Cabbage And as a rule, pesticides are not used: ideal conditions for the plants. Those who do not have their own vegetable garden can also support the organic farmers in the area. These also do not use chemical pesticides and thus protect our bees.

Tip 9: good neighborhood

In fact, many beekeepers have problems finding a place for their baskets. People's fear of the stings of the small animals prevents them from giving beekeepers and bees a chance. Many people also reject insect hotels for this reason. Bees are very peace-loving animals and only sting in extreme danger, because a sting is always fatal for them. Many wild bees even have spines so small that they cannot even penetrate human skin. There is therefore no need to be afraid of stings, and a beehive in the garden also has a number of advantages: The harvest falls through better pollination bigger, the environment is strengthened and one or two jars of honey from the grateful beekeeper as a fee for the space in the garden are bound to jump too out.

Tip 10: Not just the garden

You can not only support our local bees in your own garden: Instead of buying honey from the supermarket, it is better to use regional honey from the beekeeper. Your money does not end up in the pocket of a large corporation, but is reinvested in the bees. Always rinse your honey jars before throwing them in the jar container. Honey transmits many bee diseases and if bees find the sweet gold, these diseases can be introduced and entire colonies can be exterminated. For the same reason, weakened bees should never be nursed with honey. Instead, you can offer the bee some sugar water so that it has strength for the return flight. You should also refrain from using adhesive strips for catching flies (at least outside). In addition to the annoying pests, beneficial insects such as bees or ladybugs stick to it and die.

the 10 most bee-friendly plants we have compiled it again in detail for you. And if you also want to support butterflies, you will find the best in this post butterfly-friendly plants.