Bees are important to human existence. They pollinate the flowers of vegetables and cross-pollinate fruit trees. I especially like Bumblebees. They seem to be the first to appear in the Spring and they really are fond of the early Rhododendron bush that will be blooming soon enough. Honeybees are great, too. They are certainly workers. It takes a lot of work to produce just one teaspoon of honey. Now, you are probably wondering why I am writing about bees. The impetus is a note from an old friend who told me that her grandchildren are terrified of bees that are visiting her flowering shrubs. She is wondering if bees are "good" or "bad."
Without bees, we would not have vegetables and fruits. Simple as that. Their pollination is vital to the success of any garden. We have a special pollinator garden planted just for the bees. It consists of flowers and flowering herbs that they love. They are especially fond of oregano! We have cone flowers, Sunflowers, California Poppies, a Wildflower mix, Evening Primrose, and other flowers. Between the garden beds, the rows consist of clover that Jim plants every year. The clover keeps down the weeds, which is good, but is also food for the bees!
Hornets and wasps are a different thing altogether! They serve no purpose that I can see. Wasps often build nests in the ground and hornets build paper nests on buildings such as wooden houses. We are always knocking down nest especially at the front and back doors. One year, when Jim was painting our three-story home, he had to deal with a huge nest of hornets at the top eave. That was scary being on a ladder that far up and trying not to get stung. I think he knocked down the nest in the evening when they are less active and in the nest and he probably sprayed it first.
There must be books written about the importance of bees. I would hope there is one for children. Caution should be used around any bee because some of the stings can cause an allergic reaction but, for the most part, they are not aggressive and a healthy respect for them goes a long way. We have to contend with lots of bees on the raspberry bushes when we are picking. If one doesn't bother them, they don't bother anyone.
All I am saying is don't confuse beneficial bees with hornets and wasps. Certain types of bees are becoming endangered which is not a good thing. Happy gardening and enjoying the out-of-doors! Learn to co-exist!
