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Planting for Australian native bees.

Most of our native bees are ‘generalist’ foragers, which means they will collect pollen and nectar from a variety of flowers. However, it is best to incorporate a mix of native into your garden.

Native plants not only attract bees, they attract other almost guaranteed to be found on your beneficial insects such as predators and parasitoids. flowers. Predators hunt and eat many of our pest insects such When planting to attract bees, in patches or as aphids, caterpillars, grasshoppers and katydids. ‘swathes’, at least 1 metre across. Bees are more Parasitoids lay their eggs inside many soft-bodied attracted to large areas of flowering plants and will pests. The balance between beneficial and pest insects cross pollinate flowers within the same species, thus is a delicate one and if we provide the ideal habitat producing seed. These can be collected and used to garden for the beneficial insect, the balance will swing propagate more plants. more toward controlling the pests. This doesn’t mean that you must use native plants exclusively, but that Australian native plants their inclusion will help with pest control. There are • Myrtaceae – Tea tree (Leptospermum), Gum trees many exotic plants that also attract bees and other (Eucalyptus, Angophora, Corymbia), Lilly-pilly pollinators, as well as providing good quality pollen (Syzygium) and nectar. • – , , Hakea, • Native peas – Egg and bacon (Pultenaea), Happy When trying to attract bees, it helps to know if they wanderer (Hardenbergia), Dillwynia have a long or short tongue. Long-tongued bees, such • Fan flower (Scaevola), Bursaria, mint bush as blue-banded and carpenter bees, are especially (Prostanthera), blue bell (Wahlenbergia), Hibiscus, attracted to flowers with long, tubular shaped , Emu bush (Eremophila), native fuchsia (Correa), such as Correa or Lavenders. While short-tongued daisies. bees, such as Lasioglossum and Homalictus species, Buzz pollinated plants - Plants requiring ‘sonication’ prefer to forage on shallow, compound flowers such • Tetratheca, Hibbertia, Flax lily (Dianella), Chocolate as daisies. Other bees such as resin and -cutter lily (Arthropodium), Fringe lily (Thysanotus) bees favour pea flowers and have specially adapted scopal hairs under their abdomens, to collect the Some exotic plants difficult-to-access pollen. This is a guide though, not a • Salvia (many different species), daisies, Hebe, rule. Some bees have evolved so closely with their Diosma, basil, thyme, oregano, mint, rosemary, host-plant that they emerge from their nest at the lavender, parsley, sage, coriander same time of year that the flowers open. These bees often have specialised characteristics to help them better access the pollen and nectar, while efficiently pollinating the flower. Such bees include the Persoonia bee, a species of Leioproctus, and it’s