Always bee prepared

September is Bee Awareness Month.

Bay farmers are being encouraged to think about the bee population when planting for erosion control, riparian protection, shade and shelter, or animal fodder - by selecting species that also provide good pollen and nectar.

Trees for Bees farm planting adviser Dr Angus McPherson said the issues around lack of bee feed were recognised globally and under the spotlight again as September was Bee Aware Month.

However, plantations installed on 15 demonstration farms throughout New Zealand were getting results, with one in the pipeline for the Bay of Plenty.

"We've found that on the farms on which we've installed bee-feed plantations, not only are we getting bees visiting the bee-feed plants, but we're also seeing the other planting benefits planned for, such as shade, shelter, riparian protection and amenity," he said.

Farm plantings generally require low-maintenance bee plants such as trees and shrubs, and Trees for Bees are also looking at how bee feed can be incorporated into ground cover planting to control weeds.

"Most people wouldn't think of an oak or a maple as a bee-feed plant, but the quantity of pollen available from one of these trees is huge, so they play a very important role in keeping our bees well fed and healthy," Dr McPherson said.

The Trees for Bees project works with beekeepers and landowners on its demonstration farms to develop on-farm and apiary-based planting designs to ensure hives have sufficient bee feed.

"Bees are only pollinating or gathering honey for a few months in summer each year, so it's vital that we have enough natural bee feed available to keep hives healthy and vigorous and get them through the crucial autumn and spring periods."

Trees for Bees, which was launched by Federated Farmers in 2009, has produced plant lists and planting guides for farms, public lands, and home gardens to help support bees, which were available at treesforbeesnz.org