Spring is upon us and many people are eager to get out into their yards and gardens and do a cleanup. PLEASE WAIT! Butterflies, bees and other pollinators are currently sheltering in dead leaves and hollowed out stems of last year’s plants. Please hold off on your spring cleanup until temperatures are consistently above 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit, which allows our friends time to emerge from their winter slumber.

You can also help our bee friends by offering a source of water during the hot summer months. Bees drink water to quench their thirst, but they also collect and haul it back to the hive to nurture the developing bee larvae. On hot days, bees spread a thin layer of water over the honeycomb cells and fan it with their wings to help keep the hive comfy and cool. Honey stored in the comb can become crystallized and too thick for bees to eat. When this happens, bees will dilute the hardened honey with water to make it soft and edible again. 
 
You can make a world of difference by leaving a dish of water in your garden; make sure to add pebbles in the dish; this gives bees a safe place to land and sip and prevents drowning. More info here.