Attracting Pollinators with Bee Balm by Jeffrey Blake

 

Scarlett Bee Balm 

All photos by Jeffrey Blake

Bee Balm (Monarda spp.), also known as wild bergamot or horsemint, is a popular garden plant that is excellent for attracting pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Here are several reasons why Bee Balm is a great choice for attracting these beneficial insects:

How to Attract Mason Bees and Keep Them in Your Garden by Cheryl Kaumeyer Wethey

 

Note nesting tubes that are being plugged with mud. 
All photos by Cheryl Kaumeyer Wethey

Solitary Bees make up 70% of the bee population in Colorado.   Included in this category are Mason Bees, members of Osmia lignaria species.   The Mason Bee gets its name from its characteristic behavior of incorporating mud like a brick mason in building and sealing their nests. 

Supporting Your Pollinators by Kimberly Sheahan

Photo: Kimberly Sheahan

Late spring is a wonderful time in Colorado - gardens are beginning to hit their stride and show off their magnificent blooms and the pollinators are hard at work.  A wonderful way to support pollinators and beneficial insects that you've attracted to your garden is to provide them their own water source separate from birds.  Typically, a bird bath is too deep for pollinators as well as potentially putting them near predators.