A pesky weed to a few – but dandelions and bees have crucial courting – particularly early within the season. The tiny plant life supply wanted meals for honey bees and different bugs. This at a time of yr when meals could also be scarce. However, is that this true? Are those two truly the easiest couple that they appear to be? The true solution is extra difficult than it’ll appear in the beginning. Let’s glance nearer.
Regarded as a nuisance through many householders, the dandelion isn’t with out its lovers. A garden in complete bloom with 1000’s of tiny yellow plant life is a gorgeous sight. However, it’s a kind of weeds that feed bees.
Do Bees Want Dandelion Flora?
What about offering nourishment for hungry bees? Do dandelion plant life supply meals that bees consume? Sure, they do.
Actually, they’re one of the wildflowers that assist bees through offering nectar and pollen. Alternatively, the actual worth of dandelions to bees is if truth be told extra advanced.
In case you had been to spoil each and every dandelion plant in sight – the bees don’t seem to be going to die. However, that doesn’t imply that they aren’t of a few get advantages.
Why are Dandelions Necessary to Bees?
Dandelions have earned their position within the hearts of beekeepers because of their early bloom time. Actually, in lots of spaces of the rustic – you might to find an occasional yellow flower at any month of the yr.
They no longer best live on however if truth be told flower in puts secure from the coldest temperatures and snow. City beekeepers were identified to search out a couple of crops in bloom beside constructions – even in chilly areas.
When over-wintered colonies first begin to forage in overdue Wintry weather/early Spring, they’re actively searching for contemporary meals assets. Nectar is at all times at the menu plan however contemporary pollen is in a lot call for.
Despite the fact that the air temperature could also be too chilly for many bees to fly, they’ll benefit from the plant life on hotter days.
Best possible Early Pollen Assets- Weeds, Shrubs and Bushes
They could also be early bloomers, however dandelions don’t seem to be the primary meals supply for many bees.
As an alternative, some weeds (like Red Deadnettle, Chickweed) and others beat the dandelions to the punch.
And, many early blooming bushes feed bees with higher high quality and extra amount of meals. Because of the scale of the plant, tree pollen could be a large spice up to a colony in want.
Dandelion Pollen is No longer Perfect
Seeing honey bees accumulating dandelion pollen is a not unusual sight. They pack the intense orange pollen grains on their hind legs.
When the ones pollen baskets are complete, again to the hive they move with their bounty. Bees use pollen as a protein supply to boost 1000’s of recent employees.
Alternatively, dandelions don’t give bees the whole lot they want. Dandelion pollen is missing in one of the crucial very important amino acids that honey bees want. Significantly those are isoleucine, valine, leucine and arginine.
Does this imply dandelions are dangerous for our bees? After all no longer, it merely implies that the colony wishes plenty of meals assets – quite than depending best on dandelions.
Truthfully, the dandelion flower and plant portions could also be extra advisable for people than bees. They comprise antioxidants, minerals and nutrients and feature been utilized in natural drugs for years. In Spring, I love to make dandelion salve – it’s nice for minor cuts.
Advantages of the Bloom
Good enough, dandelions don’t seem to be the best meals for our winged buddies. They might not be thought to be a great meals this is going to unravel the entire dietary wishes of a colony. Alternatively, this doesn’t imply that dandelion plant life don’t seem to be advisable to bugs.
- low rising excellent forage on windy days
- dandelions fill in meals gaps
Low Rising
In my area, we frequently have very cool days and wind when lots of the early flowering bushes are blooming.
Our space is understood for a large early maple bloom. Pink Maple bushes are a excellent meals supply for honey bees.
However some days are simply too windy to fly. The entire nectar and pollen on the earth is needless if the foragers can’t make it to the bloom.
On the ones days, dandelions and bees are very best companions on those windy days. Those crops develop low at the floor and the plant life are simple to get admission to.
Fills Meals Gaps
They may be able to additionally supply colonies with a meals supply that fills hole occasions. Most likely one pollen supply has stopped blooming and the following excellent supply has no longer began but.
Dandelion plant life give the employees one thing significant to do. No longer each and every plant produces pollen and nectar on the similar time of day. Dandelions supply extra meals throughout the overdue morning.
Foraging bees would possibly transfer directly to any other form of plant within the afternoon. I’ve noticed the similar conduct after I plant a patch of buckwheat for my colonies.
FAQs
In some areas, dandelions are crucial early meals supply for bees – offering pollen for protein and nectar as a sugar supply.
Those crops are apomictic. They reproduce asexually and wouldn’t have any form of pollinator. No surprise they produce so swiftly on your garden – although you won’t need them there.
Most often, doing away with dandelions won’t hurt space bees. Alternatively, keep away from the usage of weed killing chemical substances that can hurt bees and different pollinators.
A minimum of every now and then, dandelions are advisable to honey bees, local bees, butterflies and different pollinators. They many no longer supply a whole dietary profile however that doesn’t imply they’ve no benefit.
I’d no longer advise purposely planting a box of dandelions. There are lots of different crops that would supply extra diet.
Alternatively, that doesn’t imply that some hungry bees gained’t be delighted to search out a few of the ones tiny yellow plant life on your backyard. Go away them a couple of weeks. Don’t be in a large hurry to mow them down.
A Ultimate Phrase
Are dandelions a great meals for honey bees? No – they don’t supply entire diet. And in some areas, they might not be the primary meals supply of Spring. But, whilst dandelions might not be the easiest bee meals, a box of those little yellow plant life is best for bees than a box of non-blooming grass.