Kid-Friendly Activities to Attract Bees to Your Garden
Bees Cuddling by JM Neely Photography
Bees do such an incredible and important job in the world, pollinating our plants so that we can have fruit and vegetables.
They are responsible for more than one-third of the food we eat - how cool is that? So let's celebrate them and learn how we can attract them to our gardens, patios, windowsills, community gardens and wherever there is a little bit of space!
Design a bee-friendly garden in your backyard
Native bees in Australia love flowers! Planting a mix of flowers and flowering herbs in your garden, or in a planter on your windowsill or verandah, will let them know you love them. Instead of scattering flower seeds everywhere, plant them in patches so that the bees can move around easily from flower to flower. Don’t forget to water and care for your flowers!
Build a bee hotel
Bees need somewhere to live, and it’s a fun activity to build a bee hotel. Here is one I built for my garden. I used some bamboo and tied it together, then put in some attracting flowers to show them where I had hung it in my garden. Other designs like ones made out of bricks are also cool … anything they can get inside and shelter from the rain and weather is perfect.
Avoid using chemicals in your garden
This is an easy one, because you don’t have to do anything! Garden chemicals can harm bees. There are natural insecticides that have neem in them that are bee safe, and there are many homemade remedies.
Get mulching and leave space for burrowing bees!
Mulch is great for your plants, and also attracts insects to your garden. Collecting native leaf litter is a fun afternoon activity. Collect all the leaves and put them into your garden. Worms underground will also love you for it! Some bees love to burrow into the ground to make nests, so choose some areas to leave undisturbed for them!
Make a tiny bee pool
This is a fun activity to do together. With a birdbath or a basin, add sand or pebbles and make a shallow pool safe for bees to be able to have a drink and cool down in hot weather.
Make a shallow pool for bees in your garden.
If you are worried about toads or other animals, put it up on a brick above the ground
Want one more?
Join in on a citizen science project counting bees in your backyard. It’s fun to do as a family. Wild Pollinator Count is a great place to start. If we all care for our bees, they will be happier and healthier, which means healthy food plants and healthy humans.
