Unique Muskoka August

have come in now.”
Pesticides are the most controversial
threat. Neonicotinoid-soaked seeds protect
plants from pests but kill beneficial insects in
the process. Agricultural practices are
changing in ways that are crowding out
habitat for native bees. Chan is project
manager with Farms at Work, helping
farmers modify their practices in ways that
keep their operations profitable but restore
bee habitat. Fortunately for Muskoka’s bees,
farms are small-scale with lots of bush and
meadow between tilled fields. And,
neonicotinoids aren’t used.
But Chan says the larger threat of climate
change does exist. As annual mean temperatures
rise, the southern extent of the bees’
territory shrinks. Bees move farther north in
search of new territory. Bee larvae and pupae
are emerging as adults earlier in the spring.
In Muskoka, the honeybees were out a week
and a half earlier than normal this spring,
only to be faced with freeze-up and snow
that followed a week later. If the flowers
aren’t blooming earlier too, they’ll face food
shortages.
We all have a role to help bees. Pollinators
can be attracted to gardens by providing
them with nesting sites. Many hardware
stores now offer “bee houses” filled with
tubes that mason bees and leafcutter bees
will use to lay their eggs. At your garden
centre, ask if the plants were treated with
neonicotinoids.
Your manicured lawn could be much
more attractive if it was converted to
meadow. All it takes is benevolent neglect
and wildflower seeding. Meadows will
produce wild clovers, sumach, basswood and
alder, goldenrod and asters, adding colour
and aroma to the yard. More blossoms help
the bees, which in turn help build healthier
gardens and meadows.
And the thrum of dozens of species of bee
will be the audible reward.
Top: A smoker is used to calm the bees so that the beekeeper can work on the hive. Above: A honeybee gets nectar from a dandelion
22 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2016