[Pollinator] Honey Bees in Oregon

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>From Oregonlive.com
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Saturday August 08, 2009, 5:25 AM

René Eisenbart/The Oregonian

Bees are necessary to the production of many food crops. In fact, 
``honeybees are the premier pollinator of agronomic crops around the 
entire world,'' according to Oregon State University entomology 
professor Michael Burgett.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera or A. mellifera carnica) can pollinate more 
plant species than any other insect. Other species of bees, such as 
orchard bees or mason bees, are crop-specific.

Bees do more than spread pollen from one flower to another. When bees 
visit the garden, food crops will always yield more, produce bigger and 
more perfectly shaped fruit, and help plants to make seed, researchers 
say.

Even small gardens benefit the honeybee. Bees must visit between 3 
million and 5 million blossoms to make 2 pounds of honey.

Unfortunately, honeybee populations have been decimated by parasitic 
mites.

The mite threat to honeybees is beyond the control of most gardeners. 
But gardeners can control their pesticide use, which is another threat 
to bees. Even some organic products such as horticultural oil sprays, 
soap sprays, pyrethrum and rotenone are toxic to bees. If you must use 
these products, spray them when the bees are not foraging, usually 
after sunset.

Better yet, use alternative nontoxic controls such as 
beneficial 
insects, traps and neem (a nontoxic botanical pesticide extract from 
the seeds of the neem tree). Also, keep and grow only healthy plants.

Plant your garden so there will be blooms available throughout the 
year. Anytime the temperature is above 55 degrees Fahrenheit, bees are 
searching for food. By growing a broad range of flowering plants and 
trees, you'll provide pollen and nectar for bees, especially during the 
winter and early spring when food sources can become scarce. You might 
be keeping a hive alive and strong.

Witch hazel, pussy willows, crocus, candytuft and alyssum are all early 
blooming. Other choice flowers for bees are the mints, other flowering 
herbs, impatiens, gaillardia, asters, forget-me-not, bee balm, alliums, 
hyssop, poppies, goldenrod and borage.

Get to know what honeybees look like. Many people mistake yellow 
jackets for honeybees. They're not, and because people kill yellow 
jackets thinking they are aggressive bees, they also kill the 
beneficial honeybee.

Tomorrow: Know your bees from your wasps and yellow jackets.

-- HGNW staff

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