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48 SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2015 Above Buckwheat Left Black-Eyed Susans CHOOSING COVER CROPS BEES LOVE When selecting a cover crop you typically consider benefits such as reduced fertilizer needs weed suppression erosion prevention and overall better soil health and yields. Try taking it another step and consider how you can help the bees while helping the soil. According to research from Pennsylvania State Universitys Department of Entomology differences in flower shape size and color all influence which pollinators are attracted to a particular cover crop. Canola flowers for example have open petals that allow the pollen and nectar to be available to all native bees. However the closed petals of flowers in the pea family are more difficult for some pollinators such as bees to enter. Larger bodied or very tiny bees are most likely to be observed visiting these flowers because they can push aside or crawl through the petal tunnel. Consider planting a diversity of cover crop species or choose one with an open flower to attract more pollinators. Its also important to plan for a long-season of bloom and include variety for a balanced diet and plenty of nutrients available as summer winds down into fall. A good resource is the Pollinator Partnerships Bee Smart app which will guide you in selecting plants for pollinators specific to your area. Visit pollinator.orgguides.htm. Lance Walheim Bayers garden expert recommends the following cover crops for the Midwest as being especially beneficial to bees legumes alfalfa Medicago sativa crimson clover Trifolium incarnatum red clover Trifolium pratense white clover Trifolium repens sweet clover Melilotus spp. field peas Pisum satuvum arvense hairy vetch Vicia villosa soybean Glycine max brassicas black brown and field mustards winter canola Brassica napus oilseed radish Raphanus sativus turnip Brassica rapa flax Linum usitatissimum and buckwheat Fagopyrum sagittatum. You can see why were struggling. This is where you come in. Planting diverse wild- flower patches that bloom all season long or installing hedgerows with blooming shrubs or trees is a great way to provide new food sources for bees that wont take up much room at your location. I look for areas with high bloom densities and my favorite colors are yellow blue and purple so plants with blooms in those colors are most attractive. While Im at it I also prefer to harvest pollen somewhere sunny. Just make sure you dont plant in areas with a high risk of pesticide drift which reminds me its crucial to read and follow all product labels to minimize risk to me and other pollinators. Minimizing wind drift and water runoff also ensures proper use of pesticides. If we make it through the summer our prime pollinating season with a healthy hive were much more likely to have a successful winter season. Without the help of our human beekeepers our hive could lose as much as 50 percent to 60 percent of our entire population during the winter. Somewhere around 20 percent is much more manageable for us to be able to build our numbers back up in the spring. Becky Langer Bayers Bee Care program manager believes one persons contribution can make a big dif- ference. Providing more food for bees is a cumulative effort and every little bit helps she says. If you dont know of any nearby managed hives there are other pollinators you can hope to attract by planting flowers and you might be surprised by how far Ill fly to find food up to 10 miles if needed. The more of those long trips I have to make the more likely my already- short life will be cut even shorter. I already only have about six weeks to live in which Im trying to get all this work done. Yikes You can also help by telling everyone you know about the struggles we face. George Hansen president of the American Beekeeping Federation says most of the general public has no clear idea of how we produce food in this country or the challenges faced by the agriculture industry. Were very misunderstood creatures who need help from our human friends. But without you helping to educate your friends and family how else will they learn I cant tell them. But you can. SW