Master Gardener Volunteers of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cleveland, OH Videos

Keep Backyard Bees Healthy Congratulations, gardeners – you’re already ahead of the game if you’re maintaining flowering plants in your yard or garden. By doing so, you’re providing support to essential players in our eco-system – bees! There are 400-500 types of bees in Ohio. To thrive and contribute their gift of pollination, bees require healthy environments. As gardeners we can help decrease the spread of the diseases that kill bees and provide them environments in which they can thrive. The following is a list of things we can do to protect and encourage the health and population of these most precious of pollinators: 1. Minimize the use of pesticides. They can kill bees. 2. If pesticides are necessary, follow directions carefully and apply at night. 3. Use soil fertilizers sparingly. Consider incorporating compost instead. 4. Provide ground habitats for nests including, patches of loose soil, brush, wood piles, and areas lightly mulched with shredded leaves. 5. Provide tunnel nests/houses. 6. Clean out tunnel nests/houses every spring after the bees have left with a 10% bleach/water solution and/or replace every year. 7. Provide aerated water and incorporate natural stone perches for access. 8. Consider keeping honeybees. 9. If keeping honeybees, get educated, join a local beekeeping group, and stay informed and active in the care of your hives. 10. Maintain gardens that flower from early spring through late fall. 11. Plant a variety of flowering plants to attract a variety of bees. 12. Choose plants native to your area. For more information on bees, follow these links: - Solitary Bee Tunnels - https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/2018-05/13-054_02_XercesSoc_Tunnel-Nests-for-Native-Bees_web.pdf - Bee Health - https://bee-health.extension.org/ - OSU Bee Lab - https://u.osu.edu/beelab/osu-factsheets-and-bulletins/ - submitted by Valerie Troiano, MGV 2021