7 positive actions to help bees in your community
By Jennifer McMillan 19 May 2023
Plant one for our pollinators to celebrate World Bee Day (20 May)! Support Australia's bees by adding native plants to your backyard, courtyard, rooftop of balcony.
Set up a bee hotel
Unlike European honeybees who live in large colonies, many native bees are solitary. Hardworking single mums create their own nest. You help these super mums out by setting up a bee hotel in your garden. Be creative and use recycled and natural materials including wood, pallets, bamboo, stone and clay.
Learn more about B&B highways
PlantingSeeds is on a mission to set up pollinating spaces and habitats in urban locations throughout Australia. The B&Bs are like little bed and breakfasts for birds, bees and butterflies. They provide much needed rest and revival for pollinators.
Add bee-friendly plants
Native plants help native bees! Planting a range of different local native plants in your garden will help support a variety of bees, as well as other pollinators. Butterfly bush, bottlebrush, daisies, eucalyptus and angophora gum trees, grevillea, lavender, tea tree, honey myrtle and native rosemary are attractive to native bees.
Get involved in citizen science
Australia is home to over 2,000 native bee species and scientists believe there may be more yet to be discovered. Biodiversity researchers are calling on citizen scientists to contribute data to fill information gaps and inform management decisions.
Start a native stingless beehive
Native bees are perfect for backyards and garden pollination. Native beehives require little maintenance, and no permits or special training is needed.
Use a range of colours
Bees have good colour vision to help them find flowers and the nectar and pollen they offer. Flower colours that particularly attract bees are blue, purple, violet, white and yellow.
Provide water
Provide easy access, either through wet sand or pebbles, but not too deep because they’re not the best swimmers!
For more information about attracting bees and other pollinators to your garden:
Jen worked as a vet nurse while studying environmental science and completing her master's degree in Journalism. She loves bushwalking, storytelling, caring for baby animals, Australian birds and river red gums. Jen works on the National Tree Day campaign and Planet Ark's Seedling Bank.
