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Attracting & nurturing native bees in your patch. Become a Bee Guardian (updated, first publish in 2016)

An important element of my Healing Garden concept is to incorporate areas that will attract and nurture native bees and other pollinators. Here at Green Tree, we've been intentionally planting for them since 2012 and in this blog I share my knowledge and tips on creating a successful bee garden. However our garden obviously doesn't just attract bees. What we've planted is actually a habitat garden and although you may start off with 'bee intentions' you'll quickly see that it blossoms into nurturing so much more than that.

above: roosting blue banded bees on a weedy stem
above: roosting blue banded bees on a weedy stem

Why do we want to attract native bees into our gardens?

Native bees and other pollinators are a vital cog that unites the ecological web in our gardens, keeping them healthy and productive. They improve the pollination and yield of all food crops we grow and can provide endless hours of fascination watching them in our flowers and nesting in bee hotels.

However, the most important reason to care for them is for species conservation. Before all of our gardens and homes existed, the land used to be a thriving, diverse ecosystem. The land can become this again with intelligent gardening (guardianship). And through this land stewardship role we all have an opportunity to play a significant role in the health of our backyard mini ecosystem and contribute towards species conservation of endemic fauna.

Imagine the difference if an entire street, or town, or suburb, or city were to follow these guidelines! Never underestimate the impact and importance of your individual efforts. Individually, collectively, we can heal the planet - one garden at a time. Think Global - Act Local begins in our backyards.

above: Lasioglossum (Homalictus) bees sleeping in my calendula flowers
above: Lasioglossum (Homalictus) bees sleeping in my calendula flowers

Build it and they will come? You bet!

You don't need a large garden or acreage to care for native bees. No matter what size garden you have - from a small courtyard to farm - you have the opportunity to provide the bees needs in your patch and create a healthier mini ecosystem.

We purchased our 5 acres in 2005 as paddocks with a perimeter of mature trees. After owner building an eco home we began to garden in 2009 and our intention from the very beginning was to bring this land back to a diverse, healthy ecosystem that nourishes and sustains the life of all endemic fauna. Initially we noticed the influx of birds, lizards, frogs and honeybees. And it was early 2012 that we discovered the native bees. We have now identified over 30 different species of native bees.


above: Coelioxys froggatti loving Borage flowers
above: Coelioxys froggatti loving Borage flowers

The Bees Needs

We live in the SW of Western Australia and all native bees here are cold blooded. They begin to emerge like the lizards in Spring and continue to forage and nest through to early autumn. Therefore our garden needs abundant flowers throughout these months to provide for them, but we provide flowering plants all year round to sustain the life of all the other insects and fauna.


To nurture native bees we need to understand their basic needs; which are food, water and shelter to survive. However in my years of educational talks and workshops, I've always said we need to go one step further to ensure they not only survive in our patch, but absolutely thrive... and that is to love them. We all need to be loved to thrive.

above: our 5 ares began as blank canvas paddocks in 2005
above: our 5 ares began as blank canvas paddocks in 2005
  1. Let's start with Shelter

Solitary native bees don't live in a hive or produce honey, nor do they have the social structure of queen, drones, worker bees etc. Every female is fertile and will want to mate and create her own nest. They will either nest in cavities or in the ground.

Ground nesting bees need bare dirt in our backyard. Somewhere that's not paved, mulched heavily, thickly planted, a driveway, lawn etc. This bare patch of dirt can't be walked over repetitively or inundated with water in winter. Look at your gardens corners and see if you can leave areas bare. Around 70% of Australia's native bees are ground nesting, therefore having bare ground areas suitable for their reproduction is a vital element to a successful bee habitat garden.

above: Euryglossa rubricata male - a ground nesting bee
above: Euryglossa rubricata male - a ground nesting bee

30% of Australian native bee species are cavity nesting. We can easily replicate their requirements by building Bee Hotels that provide artificial nesting habitat to lay their eggs inside. See my blog "How to Build a Bee Hotel" for a detailed guide.

above: just one of the many bee hotel designs in our garden using natural and repurposed materials
above: just one of the many bee hotel designs in our garden using natural and repurposed materials
  1. Add some scrumptious bee food. Food is simply flowers!

Bees eat two things: nectar & pollen. Native bees are either generalist and specialist foraging native bees. Understanding the difference between these can ensure we provide a complete floral banquet for all types of native bee species.

above: our garden providing a blend of natives, hardy perennials and flowering edibles
above: our garden providing a blend of natives, hardy perennials and flowering edibles

Some of the more common native bees we see across Australia are generalist feeders, just like the honey bee. This means they can come into any garden with any flowers on offer and be capable of feeding and collecting the nectar and pollen for their nesting requirements. An example is the much loved Blue Banded Bee, who happily pollinates tomatoes, lavender, borage, echinacea, as well as my native Flax Lily flowers.


above: blue banded bee resting on echinacea flower
above: blue banded bee resting on echinacea flower

These generalist foragers can thrive in the more built up areas due to this dietary flexibility. Many of the "plant these to feed the bees" lists that are abundant across the internet are targeting generalist feeding bees and will attract abundant honey bees into your garden too.

above: male Amegilla (Asaropoda) preisii, a generalist feeder, roosting on an agapathus flower in January
above: male Amegilla (Asaropoda) preisii, a generalist feeder, roosting on an agapathus flower in January

There are many species that are specialist foragers and this means that the flowers they require to survive and breed correlate to what they've co-evolved with over millennia. They're unlikely and sometimes incapable of feeding on any other flower and do not use their pollen/nectar in their nests to feed their young. In our garden, the first native bee to emerge out of the ground in late winter/early spring are a Trichocolletes species (pictured below) and they emerge when our multiple Native Wisteria (Hardenbergia) climbers are in flower. Their lifecycle revolves around this short flowering season and are not seen in the garden once the flowering has stopped.

above: Trichocolletes species feeding on native Hardenbergia flowers
above: Trichocolletes species feeding on native Hardenbergia flowers

A few weeks later another Trichocolletes species (pictured below) emerges when our Coral Pea Vine and Heart-leaf Flame Pea shrubs are in full bloom. These examples clearly illustrates how selective these specialist forager diets can be and if we didn't provide these flowers in our garden, we wouldn't have a complete floral banquet to support the diversity of endemic bees in our area. Specialist foragers are the most vulnerable species to habitat loss and habitat degradation.

above: Trichocolletes species in our Chorizema cordatum
above: Trichocolletes species in our Chorizema cordatum

One of the easiest ways to ensure you're providing for the specialist foragers (and generalists) is to plant native plants that are endemic to your area. This is what we have done and below I've listed the genus of the trees, shrubs, climbers and groundcovers that we've introduced to our garden. I would encourage you to visit native plant nurseries or community nurseries to discuss what species within these genus (or others) occur in your area and receive their expert advice.


My tips from my gardening experience, research and observations:

  • Bees have good colour vision — they are especially attracted to the colours blue, purple, violet, white and yellow. Plant flowers of a single species in clumps about four feet in diameter instead of in scatterings so bees are more likely to spot them as they fly over.

  • Bee species all have different tongue lengths — evolutionary adaptations to different flowers, so a variety of flower shapes will benefit a diversity of bees.

  • Choose native plants, even better - endemic natives, I’ve seen abundant native bees in: brachyscome, myrtles, bottlebrush, eucalyptus, corymbia, grevilleas, hardenbergia, hibbertia, leptospermum, melaleuca, westringia, verticordias, scaevolas, kunzeas, acacias, banksias, leschenaultia, hakea, jacksonia, dianella, dampiera, callistemon, clematis, correa, myoporum, thryptomene, templetonia and eremophila species in my garden.

  • A small summer-flowering eucalyptus, melaleuca or corymbia tree is also an excellent addition if you have space

  • Non-natives - the choices are endless. I have observed roses, all salvias, agastache, sedum, buddleia, catmint, sunflowers, geisha girl, non-invasive purple lantana, viburnum, echiums, california lilac, purple convolvulus ground cover & anthing in daisy family.

  • In the vegetable patch, allow a few plants like spring onions, carrots, lettuce and kale – to flower and pair them with borage, cosmos, lavender, rosemary, hyssop, rosemary, lemon balm, fennel and calendula

  • Plant lots of herbs! Not only can you pick these to make delicious, health-giving herbal teas but they are also a great food source for bees. They all contain highly nutritious resin, pollen and nectar. But you must allow them all to flower!  Include: borage, mint, hyssop, anise hyssop, lavender, dill, fennel, oregano, thymes, sage, calendulas, california poppies, parsley, rosemary, lemon balm, chamomile, yarrow, cosmos, chives, comfrey, elder, echinacea, basil

  • And my biggest tip is to look at their flowering times and select from the variety of genus to provide diverse flowers in your garden all year round, with overlapping flowering times to ensure there is a constant supply of food for all.

  • Include an Insectary Garden. I'm a huge fan of insectary gardens which are a form of “companion planting” based on the positive effects plants can share as a method of deterring pests, acquiring nutrients or attracting natural predators. By becoming more diverse with your plantings, you are providing habitat, shelter, and alternative food source, such as pollen and nectar, something many predators need as part of their diet. The more diverse our insect species are in our backyards, the more we are allowing nature to take its course with the 'good' insects controlling the 'pest' insects - offering us a safer, natural alternative to pesticides. Plants include composite flowers like the Daisy family and umbel-shaped flowers, eg. flat-headed forms include angelica, parsley, fennel, queen anne’s lace and dill and round-headed forms found in onions, spring onions, chives, garlic and the ornamental onions. Insectary gardens nurture insect pollinators, predators and parasitoids.

above: a mixture of salvia, sedums, scaevolas, agastache and cosmos
above: a mixture of salvia, sedums, scaevolas, agastache and cosmos

This diverse list of flowering plants provided will not only attract and care for native bees but also butterflies, various other pollinators (wasps, flies and beetles) as well as predatory insects such as hoverflies, tachinid flies, ladybirds, lacewings, praying mantis, ichneumon wasps, parasitic wasps, beneficial mites, beetles, robber flies, and spiders.

above: Megachile erythropyga on grevillea
above: Megachile erythropyga on grevillea

By nurturing the insect communities we allow the natural food chains in the web of life to thrive in our gardens. We have not only seen an amazing myriad of insects arrive since beginning this style of gardening, but also had a surge in all insectivorous birds, lizards, frogs and more.

above: Hylaeus species resting in a calendula flower
above: Hylaeus species resting in a calendula flower
  1. Add a splashes of water

All habitat gardens must have water sources. We over a dozen birdbaths scattered around with some at ground level to act as an 'all inclusive' watering hole for skinks, bandicoots, lizards, snakes and more. Native bees don't require a water source and actually get their needs met from nectar. Honey bees and other beneficial insects like ladybugs, butterflies, and predatory wasps need fresh water to drink. Many can drown in normal bird baths. To avoid this, create islands within the baths to touch down on. Refresh the water daily.

Simply make a Bee Bath by piling rocks in your bird baths or line a shallow bowl with rocks or pebbles or marbles. Add water, but leave the rocks as dry islands to serve as landing pads. Place the bath less than a metre high in your garden. (Put it near "problem plants" — those that get aphids, for example — and the beneficial insects that come to drink will look after them.)

above; honey bee and insect watering hole
above; honey bee and insect watering hole

Our frog habitat garden below within 18 months was filled with dragonfly larvae, tadpoles, diving beetles, boatman beetles and much more. The insects, wasps and honey bees safely land on the pond plants to drink.

above: frog pond habitat
above: frog pond habitat
  1. And lastly - and most importantly - is the Love!

Now you can take this to whatever extreme you like... I'm often found talking to the bees and giving them my thanks & gratitude for their free pollination services. And many evenings I'll say goodnight to the little male bees roosting overnight in my calendula flowers, like in the photo below. How cute are they?

However, if you prefer to keep the love more simple... then just reassess your need for all biocides in your garden - pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and rodenticides. No garden can really thrive when we are applying chemicals that upset the ecological web of life, – natural or chemical.

One pesticide that is being banned around the world (not in Australia yet) are the Neonicotinoids. These are very effective at killing insects when sprayed on plants because the whole plant, including the pollen and nectar becomes poisoned. It is a systemic neurotoxin and if it doesn't kill the bees directly, it weakens the nervous system. The poison is taken back within the food and stored inside the nest for the young to feed on when hatched. All Neonics are easily accessible and are sold in all hardware store and even supermarkets. Check labels, it will often carry the warning ''will kill bees''.

Look for these ingredients to know if the product contains Neonics:

Imidacloprid: Foliar spray for turf and ornamental flowers, trees, and shrubs; soil drench for garden fruits and vegetables, and ornamental flowers, trees, and shrubs; trunk injection for trees; granules for turf and ornamental flowers, shrubs, or trees.

Clothianidin: Granules for turf, and ornamental flowers, shrubs, or trees.

Thiamethoxam: Foliar spray for turf and ornamental flowers, trees, and shrubs; granules for turf and ornamental flowers, trees, and shrubs.

Acetamiprid: Foliar spray for garden fruits and vegetables, and ornamental flowers, trees, and shrubs

Dinotefuran: Granules for turf and ornamental flowers, shrubs or trees; soil drench for ornamental flowers, trees, and shrubs.

Some studies also consdier Sulfoxaflor to be a neonicotinoid


REMEMBER: 999 OUT OF 1000 INSECTS ARE ACTUALLY BENEFICIAL OR HARMLESS.

Do you really need to spray (and this includes homemade organic sprays), or can you wait for the natural predators to come in and do what they do best?

above: Megachile species leafcutter bee with a tiny Reed bee approaching
above: Megachile species leafcutter bee with a tiny Reed bee approaching

We can all play a significant role in the health of our backyard mini ecosystem.


Imagine the difference if an entire street, or town, or suburb, or city were to follow these guidelines! Never underestimate the impact and importance of your individual efforts. Individually, collectively, we can heal the planet - one garden at a time.

Contact me if you would like me to come and present a Native Bee & Bee Friendly Garden Talk in your area tracy@greentreenaturopathy.com.au

Green Tree Blessings x

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In the spirit of deepening relationships and holding space for healing, I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and Elders of this beautiful land on which I live, work, serve and create, the Bibbulmen and Kaneang People. I recognise their connection to land, waters and community and the continuation of their cultural, spiritual and educational practices. I pay my respects to them and to Elders past, present and emerging.

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