Know How to Attract Bees and Butterflies to Your Garden
Attracting bees and butterflies requires some knowhow, but it's worth the effort. These beneficial insects pollinate your plants while adding their distinctive beauty to your outdoor spaces.
However, without careful planning, they might avoid your garden altogether. To increase the traffic of these helpful visitors, create the sort of environment they prefer.
First: Eliminate Neonicotinoid Pesticides
Are you using synthetic pesticides? Chemical sprays keep the pests away, protecting your plants so that they grow healthy, but there is a tradeoff. These same treatments act as a deterrent to helpful insects, making your garden unappealing to bees and butterflies.
The chemicals seep into the soil where roots absorb them. They alter the way your plants produce pollen and nectar. To avoid this outcome, try using natural pesticides instead.
You should also shop for your seeds and plants in a natural garden store. The more commercial options often have a pesticide coating on them already. They grow resilient to pests but also ward off the insects you are trying to attract.
Second: Plant Flowers Attracting Bees and Butterflies
Maybe you have strong feelings about the types of plants you want to grow. Make a compromise with your friendly neighborhood insects and seed your garden with a few species they find more attractive.
It's fine to cultivate exotic plants, but you should also add some native species into your garden space. Your local bees and butterflies evolved to work in harmony with certain flowers and recognize them immediately.
Also, avoid stripping out all garden weeds. Though a nuisance, certain grasses, and wildflowers create a more natural environment. You should also rotate your plants seasonally and allow them to grow naturally in clumps instead of neat rows.
Third: Add Shelter and Water
Bees and butterflies, like all living things, require water and shelter in addition to food. Encourage these insects to hang around longer by providing them with all their necessities.
Create shallow pools of water close to your garden. A bird feeder is adequate, but you may also sculpt small watering ponds among your planters. Place stones in shallow water to give insects room to land and change the water frequently to ward off mosquito larva.
With the right plants in season, butterflies may lay eggs, providing you with a collection of caterpillars. Milk thistle is a favorite of monarch butterflies, and the hungry juveniles gobble it up before spinning their cocoons.
If you have enough space on your property, place a beekeeper's box nearby. Bees may also colonize a dead log or hollowed tree.
Now Enjoy!
Like the garden itself, insects are seasonal. Expect more activity as the weather warms. Bees might buzz about throughout the year, but a butterfly's life cycle is annual. Plan your garden accordingly. Check out our lawn and garden section for supplies and ideas.
