Honey bees are vital pollinators, responsible for approximately one-third of the human food supply and billions in added crop value annually. To maintain strong, healthy colonies, bees require consistent access to high-quality forage. Forage is the food bees collect from plants, consisting of two components: nectar and pollen. Selecting the best flowers is a foundational step in supporting the health and productivity of these pollinators.
The Bee’s Menu: Understanding Forage Needs
Honey bees require a balanced diet of both nectar and pollen, each serving a specialized nutritional purpose. Nectar is primarily a source of carbohydrates, which bees convert into honey to fuel flight muscles, heat the hive, and maintain the colony. Attractive nectar sources typically contain a high sugar concentration, ideally 50 to 65%, and are rich in sucrose.
Pollen supplies the colony with protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals, essential for rearing new brood and developing young nurse bees. For optimal growth, a colony needs a diet with a protein content of at least 20 to 25%. The physical structure of a flower also determines its accessibility; open, bowl-shaped blossoms or those with flat landing pads are the most efficient for honey bees to access the rewards.
Seasonal Forage: Ensuring Continuous Food Supply
A colony’s health depends on a steady, diverse food supply that persists throughout the entire active season. Since the needs of the hive change throughout the year, seasonal planning for floral resources is fundamental.
Early Spring Forage
Early spring forage fuels the initial population surge and brood-rearing cycle following the winter rest period. This need is often met by trees and shrubs, such as Willows and Maples, which provide a burst of protein-rich pollen when little else is flowering. Small bulbs like Crocus and early weeds like Dandelion also offer quick, accessible resources necessary for the colony to begin its expansion.
Mid-Summer Forage
Mid-summer is typically the time of peak nectar flow, when the colony builds its primary honey stores for the year. This period requires robust, high-volume nectar producers such as Basswood (Linden) trees and various species of Clover. Many herbs, including Lavender and Borage, also provide sustained nectar and pollen throughout the warmer months, bridging potential gaps in the flow.
Late Fall Forage
Late fall forage is crucial for the colony to prepare for winter, requiring a final surge of resources to raise a generation of long-lived winter bees. Plants that bloom late, such as Goldenrod and Asters, provide the necessary nectar and pollen stores before cold weather sets in. Buckwheat is another valuable late-season resource, often planted specifically to provide a dependable flow leading up to winter dormancy.
Top Plant Choices for Nectar and Pollen
The most beneficial plants offer generous quantities of high-quality nectar, substantial pollen, or both, ensuring a diverse and nutrient-rich diet.
Nectar Sources
Plants known for their high nectar yield and preferred sugar content are the backbone of honey production. Borage is a reliable annual that offers a continuous supply of nectar throughout the summer months. Perennial herbs like Lavender and Bee Balm (Monarda) are also excellent choices, providing an extended bloom period. Large trees, such as Basswood or Linden, are major sources, as a single mature tree can provide the foraging equivalent of hundreds of square feet of meadow flowers.
Pollen Sources
For brood development, bees prioritize plants that produce high-protein pollen, especially in the spring. Early blooming trees like Willow and Maple species are valuable, delivering the protein needed to kickstart colony growth after winter. Poppies provide a large volume of easily accessible pollen, despite not offering nectar. Clover, particularly White and Alsike varieties, is a dual-purpose plant, offering both high-quality nectar and protein-rich pollen throughout the summer.
Creating a Sustainable Bee Habitat
Maximizing the impact of floral plantings requires adopting specific spatial and maintenance practices to create an optimal foraging environment.
Planting Strategy
Honey bees are more efficient when foraging on a single type of flower per trip. Therefore, planting in large, concentrated patches is more beneficial than scattering individual plants. A minimum clump size of about nine square feet (three feet by three feet) of a single species is recommended. This makes the resource visually appealing and energetically efficient for the bees.
Water Source
A safe, accessible water source is just as important as the flowers themselves, as bees need water for cooling the hive and diluting stored honey. A simple watering station can be created using a shallow dish filled with landing aids such as clean pebbles or glass marbles. The water level should be maintained just below the surface of these objects, allowing bees to land on a dry surface and drink without the risk of drowning.
Pesticide Management
The use of chemical treatments must be managed with extreme care, as many common pesticides pose a significant threat to honey bee health. Sublethal exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides, such as imidacloprid and clothianidin, acts as a neurotoxin. This impairs a bee’s ability to navigate and remember its homing route, often leading to foraging bees failing to return to the hive and causing colony decline.