When controlling plants that you consider to be Honeybees Need Weeds “weeds”, please consider hand removal before spraying. Honeybees live as a colony all year long. They do not hibernate. When the weather is bad or no Many sprays may be listed as “safe for bees” but flowers are blooming, they live inside the hive research has shown that herbicide and pesticide eating food stored there. They eat honey as their residues build up in the wax of honeycomb and can carbohydrate and pollen as their protein. become toxic to the colony within three to five years. Those chemicals drift to the hive during A colony needs about 70 pounds of stored honey to application and also are brought to the hive when live November – March in the Pacific NW. To get bees visit plants and flowers that have been sprayed. and store that much food, in addition to the hundreds of pounds of honey they eat all year long, If you spray to remove plants, please: they need to find high quality nectar and pollen • Read all instructions carefully. from March – October when most flowers are • Use the lowest dosage and least amount of blooming. chemical needed. Do not overspray. • Do not apply sprays when flowers are in bloom. • Spray early in the morning or late in the evening when there is less wind. • If the plants you remove are important food for bees, such as blackberry, please consider replacing that food for bees.

The Xerces Society has a comprehensive list of non-invasive plants for the Pacific Northwest: xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ MaritimeNorthwestPlantList.pdf

Many seed supply companies provide seed blends for pollinators.

Plants that are good bee forage include: Anise, Asters, Black-eyed Susan, Borage, Catnip, Blackberry nectar and pollen is the most important Clover, Coreopsis, Coriander/Cilantro, food for honeybees in Western Washington. It Cornflower, Corn Poppy, Cosmos, Forget-me-not, provides the most nectar, allowing bees to store Hyssop, Lemon Balm, Mints, Mustards, Kale food for winter and perhaps providing some excess Phacelia, Sedum. for beekeepers to harvest. Herbs that fully flower are a powerhouse of Blackberry nectar and pollen also has been found important nutrients for honeybees and many other to contain extremely high levels of important pollinators. Include these plants in your garden, let nutrients needed to keep honeybees healthy and them fully flower. You will be amazed at the help the colony deal with pests, pathogens, number of pollinators that visit: bacteria and disease. Thyme, oregano, lavender, basil, mint, Considered a Class C noxious weed, control for coriander/cilantro, sage (especially blackberry is decided at the local level. It can be cut back and managed rather than eliminated Russian), and other culinary herbs. completely. For the sake of bees, please keep and control some blackberry rather than removing it. Pierce County Beekeepers Association, 2014 www.pcbeekeepers.org Pollen / Nectar Plant Check List West of the Cascade Mountains, Washington

(List not inclusive of all pollen / nectar plants. Rather, it lists the most important.)

Plant Name Nectar / Native / Bold/Italic indicates very important X forage for honeybees; Bloom Time Pollen Introduced * Indicates plant is considered to be noxious, but is important bee forage. (N/P) (N/I) Filbert / Hazelnut Jan – Mar P N/I Alder Jan – June N/P N Manzanita Feb – May N/P N Willow Feb – Aug P N/I Mustards Feb – Aug N/P I Current – Wild Mar – May N/P N Maple – Broadleaf / Vine Mar – May N/P N Cottonwood Mar – June P, also Propolis N Dandelion Mar – Summer N/P N/I Elder Mar – July N/P N Holly Apr – May N/P N Oregon Grape Apr – May N/P N Pear Apr – May N/P I Apple Apr – May/June N/P I Cherry Apr – June N/P N/I Blueberry – Huckleberry Apr – June N/P N Cascara sagrada (Bearberry) Apr – June N/P N Honeysuckle Apr - June N/P N/I Sunflower Apr – July N/P N Brassica Family (in flower) Apr – July N/P I *Blackberry Apr – July N/P N Raspberry Apr – July N/P N Madrona May N/P N Cranberry May – June N/P N Hawthorn May – June N/P N Locust – Black, Yellow May – July N/P N Pine May – July P, also Propolis N Snowberry / Indian Current May – Aug N/P N Bindweed (Morning Glory) May – Aug N/P N/I Vetch May – Aug N/P N/I Clover May – Oct N/P I Buckwheat May – Oct N/P N *Knotweed May – Oct N/P I Fireweed June - Aug N/P N Cucumber June – Aug N/P N/I *Ivy, Boston June - Sept N/P I Alfafa June - Sept N/P I Bird’s Foot Trefoil June - Sept N/P I *Knapweed (Star Thistle) June - Oct N/P I Corn July – Aug P I Goldenrod July – Oct N/P N Various culinary herbs if allowed to fully flower; thyme, oregano, lavender, July – Oct N/P N/I marjoram, rosemary, mint, etc. *Ivy, English Sept - Nov N/P I

Sources: Ayers and Harman, 2008, The Hive and the Honey Bee, Bee Forage of North American and the Potential for Planting for Bees, Dadant. Burgett, Stringer and Johnston, 1989, Nectar and Pollen Plants of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, Honeystone Press. NASA website: http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/Honeybees/ForageRegion.php; downloaded March 1, 2001 Compiled for Master Beekeeper Research Paper by Franclyn Heinecke, 2011