Blake09

hints and tips comming from the book 1001 Hints & Tips For Your Garden







Bees



The great pollinator. Bees are essential assets in any garden. In their secarch for nector and pollen, they carry pollen from flower to flower, facilitating fertilization in many edible and oramental plants. Attract bees to your garden by planting colorful, fragrant, nectar-rich plants; they're drawn in particular to concrasting colores, yellows, and anything on the viloet end of the spectrum. But avoid planting tublar or trunpet shaped flowers; bees dont like them because its hard to reach inside.


Pesticide rules. When you treat plants for insect pests, protect bees in one of two ways. First, never use an insectide on plants wile they are in bloom-weather fruit trees, flowering shurbs, or vegetables; wait until the petals have fallen. Alternatively, controle insect pests with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or with insecticidal soap, both of which are harmless to bees.


On melons and cucumbers, blossoms are open for only one day. Apply an insectide in late afternoon or earley evening, when the bees have returned to their hive.

Which bees to attract? Bumblebees are more effective pollinators than honeybees, but by far the most efficient is the shy, unobtrusive horn-faced bee-actually a fly. Attract it with blocks of wood bored with 1-inch holes that simulate a woospecker's. Or order bees from an orchad supply or garden center.

Soothe the pain of a bee sting by applying a paste of baking soda mixed with water or rubbing alcohol to the affected area. A folk remedy that may offer some relief is to gently rub the sting with a freshly sliced white onion or potato.

Avoid wearing perfume or cologne with a floral sent when your outside working in the yard or garden. Wile it may attract bees, it also attracts wasps-especally the ubiquitous and annoying yellow jacket.

__________________

A banana plant in the autumn gale -
I listen to the dripping of rain
Into a basin at night.
~ Basho Matsuo (1644- 1694)