Yes, you can buy bees for your garden to maximize home pollination. Home gardeners typically opt for low-maintenance solitary bee kits rather than complex honeybee hives, which require significant space and specialized knowledge. These kits introduce highly efficient pollinators directly into your growing space. This approach harnesses the power of native pollinators without the intensive commitment of traditional beekeeping.
Choosing the Right Pollinator for Your Garden
For most home gardeners focused on maximizing yield, the choice is between social honeybees and solitary bees. Honeybees live in large, permanent colonies, produce honey, and require specialized equipment and regular management. This path involves a considerable investment of time and money, making it a serious commitment.
Solitary bees, comprising nearly 90% of all bee species, are the practical choice for simple garden pollination. These bees, such as Mason or Leafcutter bees, do not form hives, produce honey, or have a queen. This means they are non-aggressive and rarely sting because they have no collective colony to defend, making them safer for yards with children and pets.
Solitary bees are often far more efficient at pollination than honeybees. A single solitary bee can accomplish the work of dozens of honeybees because their bodies carry pollen loosely, allowing it to fall off easily onto every flower they visit. Furthermore, solitary bees are localized foragers, typically staying within a few hundred yards of their nest, ensuring their pollination efforts are concentrated entirely within your garden space.
Acquiring and Establishing Solitary Bee Colonies
The process begins by acquiring dormant bee cocoons or nesting kits from online suppliers or local garden centers. Timing is important: deploy spring species, like Mason bees, when daytime temperatures consistently reach 50–55°F, coinciding with early blooming plants. Summer species, such as Leafcutter bees, are released later in the season.
The bees require specific housing, often called a bee hotel, which contains multiple removable nesting tubes or reeds with a solid back. Tubes should be approximately six inches deep to encourage the bees to lay female eggs, which are placed at the rear of the tunnel. It is critical that these tunnels can be opened or replaced annually to prevent the buildup of mold, parasites, and disease.
Proper placement is key to the colony’s success and involves mounting the bee house at least three feet off the ground in a location that receives full morning sunlight. The entrance should be protected from harsh afternoon sun and heavy rain. Additionally, spring species like Mason bees use mud to seal their nesting cells, so a source of wet clay or mud within fifty yards of the house is necessary for them to establish their nests.
Creating a Sustainable Bee-Friendly Environment
Supporting your purchased bees, and native bees alike, requires creating a garden ecosystem that provides continuous forage and water, extending beyond the initial housing setup. Plant a diverse range of flowers, herbs, and shrubs with staggered bloom times to ensure a succession of pollen and nectar is available from early spring through fall. Native plants are particularly effective at attracting and sustaining local bee populations.
Providing a safe water source is an often overlooked step, as bees need to drink and cool their nests. A shallow dish or bird bath filled with pebbles or small stones provides landing spots for bees to safely access water without the risk of drowning. Placing this near the nesting site or flowering plants will encourage them to stay local.
The most important long-term action is the elimination or severe restriction of systemic pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids. These insecticides are absorbed by the plant and present in the pollen and nectar, proving highly toxic to bees. When purchasing new plants, always ask if they have been pre-treated with neonicotinoids, as these chemicals can persist for months and undermine efforts to support a healthy pollinator population.