Can flowers survive without bees?
Bees are groups of animals that belong to the “Insect” class and the Apoidea superfamily, which includes bees and bumblebees.
Bees are known worldwide for two main characteristics their threatening sting and their ability to produce one of nature’s most prized delicacies honey.
To produce a kilo of honey from bees, a single bee needs to make around 200 thousand flights.
In relation to pollen, they collect 20 kg a year on average, which is equivalent to 1 million loads of pollen with 20 mg per trip.
Without a doubt, they are very hard-working and organized insects.
The bees requires two types of food the sweet nectar accumulated in the flowers and the pollen, which is different according to the type of flower.
When the nectar bag is full, the bee goes to the hive where other bees will receive the accumulated through the mouth.
The process is repeated from bee to bee until the product has a much lower humidity, remaining at approximately 20%, which results in honey.
This process is not always carried out. Sometimes, the nectar of the collecting bee is deposited in the cavities of the honeycomb and the same high temperature inside, makes the substance become honey.
Worker bees live 6 or 7 weeks, while drones live about 3 months. The queen bee can live from 3 to 4 years, although in favorable conditions it even reaches 5 years.
Worker bees measure 1.5 centimeters on average, while drone and queen bees measure 2 centimeters.
The largest bees are 3.9 centimeters, while the smallest are 2 millimeters.
Many times we do not realize how important animals are to the planet and even to our survival.
Believe it or not, without bees it is very difficult for life to be perpetuated.
This little insect, “which we are sometimes afraid of”, plays a vital role for ecology.
Can flowers survive without bees?
No, flowers cannot survive without bees, but not only flower the world it sel will be in deanger. Bees are responsible for carrying pollen from one plant to another (of the same species), so that they can reproduce.
That is to say, if the bees do not carry out this process, the plants would cease to exist and, immediately, human beings.
Pollination creates plants, which are consumed by herbivores, which are ingested by carnivores.
If the first part of this equation disappears, the rest also.
Importance of bees:
The term pollination refers to the movement of pollen from a flower that produces it, to another flower of the same species, in principle, that receives it.
This process, which is so simple at first glance, brings associated immediate and far-reaching consequences, such as the formation of the fruit, of vital importance in agriculture, and the formation of the seed, which will serve the vegetable to perpetuate its species and multiply.
Among the myriad of insects involved in pollination, the honey bee (Apis mellífera) is by far the most effective.
If several years out of every hundred visiting insects, bees constituted 70 to 80%, today, due to the progressive decline of wild pollinating species due to environmental conditions, the percentage reaches 90 to 95% of all visits by insects.
Therefore, the bee can be considered as a pollination professional.
Differences Between Bees And Wasp:
Diet: wasps eat other insects, which is not the case with bees.
Appearance: Wasp leather is thinner than that of bees.
Legs: the hind legs of bees are flatter and have a basket of pollen.
Hair: Bees have more hair than wasps.
Sting: bees can only sting once, as it requires its stinger as it is part of its digestive system. Instead, wasps can sting multiple times.
5 Tips to attrac bess to your garden
If you are passionate about nature, you may have wondered how to attract pollinating insects to the garden.
Something that puts ladybugs, butterflies, bees and other insects in the same bag with the ability to pollinate.
Make no mistake: Although attracting bees is our main objective, it is not bad that other insects also visit us.
Their presence is a guarantee that our environment is healthy on an environmental level.
They also help pollinate. Indeed, their ability to do it does not reach the levels of the bees, but it all adds up!
If we intend to attract bees to the garden, there are some tricks to achieve this. We are talking about insects with very specific routines and needs.
Lets talk about it.
1. Build a shelter for them
A fundamental aspect to attract bees and for them to settle in our environment is that they have a space in which to take shelter.
As with other pollinating insects, an insect hotel can be a good starting point.
Although bees usually live in community with a good number of specimens, it can be a good starting point for them to settle.
If you decide to create a bee shelter, it is important to keep something in mind.
The ideal is to do it only if we have a garden of good dimensions.
The reason is simple, the ideal is to place it as far away from our home as possible.
And not just for security reasons.
Doing so makes the bees comfortable and calm.
Something that will improve the odds for them to live in it.
2. Include aromatic plants among your plants
Aromatic plants are one of the favorite families of many of the lovers of gardening.
And it is logical in addition to having a unique perfume, many of them have culinary and medicinal applications.
Aromatics have the incredible ability to attract bees.
Verdecora brand lavender seeds
Lavender is one of the perfect aromatics to attract bees.
Thus rosemary, lavender or echinacea are some of the plants that will help us attract bees.
3. Plant medium sized hedges and shrubs around the garden or orchard.
Using hedges and shrubs to delimit a garden or orchard is a common practice.
A way to create a small green wall, which allows us to enjoy nature with more privacy.
Beyond this aesthetic value, hedges and bushes have another unique environment to attract bees and other beneficial insects.
Thanks to their network of branches and leaves, they are an exceptional natural refuge for all this type of fauna.
4. Avoid using chemicals, essential to attract bees and ensure their life.
One of the biggest enemies of bees are the chemicals that we use for the garden and the vegetable garden.
Both insecticides and pesticides or pesticides seriously compromise there life.
All these products are already considered the main responsible for the disappearance of this precious insect.
Using organic products will allow us to enjoy our plants without causing damage to the environment.
Well, after knowing this, how can we guarantee the care of our plants?
A simple answer to this question is: Betting on ecological and natural products.
Some that, despite eliminating garden pests, allow us to ally ourselves with bees.
The more natural your garden is, the more options you will have to enjoy bees in it.
5. Have in the garden the favorite flowers and plants of the bees
We finish our tips to attract bees with one of absolute effectiveness.
And it is that these valuable insects have their preferences, and the range is wide.
Let’s base ourselves on two aspects that, for them, are a magnet on one hand, the white tones; on the other, the aroma.
With this in mind, there is a more than extensive list of flowers and flowering plants that can catch your attention.
Heather, strawberry tree, margarita, lemon or raspberry are some of her favorites.
But we will also guarantee to see them with jasmine, zinnia or springs.