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Pleeze Count Your Bees
Spending 15 minutes in your garden counting bees is a pleasant way to pass the time while helping with bee conservation efforts.
I’ve been counting the bees that land on the ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers in my garden and I’m delighted at the results.
During my latest 15-minute observation, I counted 12 honeybees landing on one large flower–almost one bee every minute. Many others buzzed around me as I sat quietly counting.
If you haven’t counted your bees yet, there’s still time this summer. Just set aside a little time during the day when the bees are active and pull up a tree stump.
All you need is a watch, paper and pencil. Once you’re done counting, be sure to report your results on www.GreatSunflower.org.
While you’re counting, think about the thousands of other gardeners across the country who are involved in this citizen science project to help bees.
The data that’s gathered every year helps researchers with their bee conservation efforts.
You Need to Be at Today’s Bee-a-thon
Bee part of the first-ever online town hall event dedicated to celebrating the most underappreciated helpers in our gardens: bees.
The 2011 Bee-a-thon, hosted by Your Garden Show, is the kick-off to today’s Great Bee Count.
Stop by the Bee-a-thon between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Pacific time for the first-ever online webcast discussing how to protect our most valuable pollinators.
Throughout the day experts will discuss bee biology, changes in global bee populations, and what you can do to help. You can listen in throughout the day and ask questions in real time.
All of this buzz is in support of The Great Sunflower Project, a citizen science campaign that encourages gardeners to plant sunflowers, count the number of bees visiting them, and report the data online.
I’ve written about The Great Sunflower Project many times over the last several years and was one of about 50,000 gardeners actively participating last year. My sunflowers are slow to bloom this year, but as soon as they do I’ll bee starting my observations.
Lemon Queen Sunflower Gardening for Bees
It’s time to plant your sunflower seeds and join the Great Sunflower Project for 2011.
The Great Sunflower Project is underway! Plant Lemon Queen Sunflowers this weekend and then mark your calendar for July 16. That’s the day of the Great Bee Count of 2011.
The Great Sunflower Project is my favorite citizen science effort. Every summer gardeners across the country plant sunflowers in their gardens, count the bees that land on them, and report the results.
Even though it’s best to observe and report weekly, the Great Bee Count is the day set aside for a nation-wide count.
Bees are in trouble and they need our help. By growing sunflowers and counting bees, we can learn more about our important pollinators. More information leads to more action to help preserve and enhance pollinator habitat.
Lemon Queen Gardening Causes a Big Buzz
If you’re looking for a way to attract more bees to your garden, plant a patch of Lemon Queen sunflowers and join The Great Sunflower Project.
In May I planted a packet of Lemon Queen sunflower seeds so I could be one of the citizen scientists counting bees for the The Great Sunflower Project. The project is the brainchild of Grechen LeBuhn, a professor in the Department of Biology at San Francisco State University.
The project encourages gardeners to plant sunflowers and collect data that will help gauge the health of urban bee populations.
I’m one of about 50,000 gardeners who have signed up to plant and count. So far I’ve submitted the results of three observations.
I don’t know how many bees gardeners are counting in other areas, but I have to say, the bees are loving my Lemon Queens.
During each of my observations honeybees have landed on these sunflowers at nearly one landing per minute during each 15-minute observation.
National Pollinator Week Salute to Bees
It’s time to celebrate National Pollinator Week, June 21-27, with a WesternGardeners.com salute to pollinators. Today we proudly salute bees!
Thanks to the efforts of the Pollinator Partnership, pollinators are being celebrated across the country this week. As part of its mission, the Pollinator Partnership works to protect pollinators–like bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles–through conservation, education and research.
Today we salute the little workhorses of the garden, bees. Gardeners already know that to have a beautiful, productive garden, bees have to like to hang out in it. Especially honey bees.
Honey bees are the best of the insect pollinators and hundreds of fruits and vegetables would disappear if we lost all of our honey bees. But, as many of you already know, our bee populations are in serious trouble. Loss of habitat and use of pesticides are two key reasons why bees are being threatened. Honey bees are also suffering from a mysterious disease called Colony Collapse Disorder. Just this week, researchers identified imported, disease-carrying honeybees as a possible cause of colony collapse.
Sunflower Gardening Helps Bees in Several Ways
The Great Sunflower Project needs gardeners to plant sunflower seeds and to spend a few minutes of time observing bee activity in their gardens.
It’s time to join hands with other gardeners involved in The Great Sunflower Project and plant Lemon Queen sunflower seeds in your garden.
This simple act will help honeybees in two ways: it will provide an important food source and it will help collect information about bee populations across the country.
I wrote about The Great Sunflower Project last year after reading about it in Sunset Magazine. Gretchen LeBuhn, AKA The Queen Bee, is an associate professor of biology at San Francisco State University and the founder of this national effort to get home gardeners to help track bee activity in their backyards.
The Great Sunflower Project needs you
Every summer for the last four years, a cluster of male bees (genus Melissodes) finds this Miscanthus sinensis the perfect place to spend each night.
Ever since I interviewed bee expert Stephen Buchmann a few years ago, I’ve had a soft spot for bees. He told me that one-third of our food supply is derived from insect-pollinated plants and that hundreds of fruits and vegetables would disappear if anything were to happen to the honey bee.
“It’s been stated that if there were no bees and other pollinators, it’s doubtful that the human population could survive for more than a few months,” he said.
Over the last few years, the decline in bee populations across the country has been well-documented. That’s why I was especially pleased to read about Gretchen LeBuhn in the August issue of Sunset Magazine.
Gretchen is an associate professor of biology at San Francisco State University and the founder of the Great Sunflower Project. Thank you, Gretchen!
Spending 15 minutes in your garden counting bees is a pleasant way to pass the time while helping with bee conservation efforts.
I’ve been counting the bees that land on the ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers in my garden and I’m delighted at the results.
Bee part of the first-ever online town hall event dedicated to celebrating the most underappreciated helpers in our gardens: bees.
The 2011 Bee-a-thon, hosted by Your Garden Show, is the kick-off to today’s Great Bee Count.
Stop by the Bee-a-thon between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Pacific time for the first-ever online webcast discussing how to protect our most valuable pollinators.
Throughout the day experts will discuss bee biology, changes in global bee populations, and what you can do to help. You can listen in throughout the day and ask questions in real time.
All of this buzz is in support of The Great Sunflower Project, a citizen science campaign that encourages gardeners to plant sunflowers, count the number of bees visiting them, and report the data online.
I’ve written about The Great Sunflower Project many times over the last several years and was one of about 50,000 gardeners actively participating last year. My sunflowers are slow to bloom this year, but as soon as they do I’ll bee starting my observations.
Lemon Queen Sunflower Gardening for Bees
It’s time to plant your sunflower seeds and join the Great Sunflower Project for 2011.
The Great Sunflower Project is underway! Plant Lemon Queen Sunflowers this weekend and then mark your calendar for July 16. That’s the day of the Great Bee Count of 2011.
The Great Sunflower Project is my favorite citizen science effort. Every summer gardeners across the country plant sunflowers in their gardens, count the bees that land on them, and report the results.
Even though it’s best to observe and report weekly, the Great Bee Count is the day set aside for a nation-wide count.
Bees are in trouble and they need our help. By growing sunflowers and counting bees, we can learn more about our important pollinators. More information leads to more action to help preserve and enhance pollinator habitat.
Lemon Queen Gardening Causes a Big Buzz
If you’re looking for a way to attract more bees to your garden, plant a patch of Lemon Queen sunflowers and join The Great Sunflower Project.
In May I planted a packet of Lemon Queen sunflower seeds so I could be one of the citizen scientists counting bees for the The Great Sunflower Project. The project is the brainchild of Grechen LeBuhn, a professor in the Department of Biology at San Francisco State University.
The project encourages gardeners to plant sunflowers and collect data that will help gauge the health of urban bee populations.
I’m one of about 50,000 gardeners who have signed up to plant and count. So far I’ve submitted the results of three observations.
I don’t know how many bees gardeners are counting in other areas, but I have to say, the bees are loving my Lemon Queens.
During each of my observations honeybees have landed on these sunflowers at nearly one landing per minute during each 15-minute observation.
National Pollinator Week Salute to Bees
It’s time to celebrate National Pollinator Week, June 21-27, with a WesternGardeners.com salute to pollinators. Today we proudly salute bees!
Thanks to the efforts of the Pollinator Partnership, pollinators are being celebrated across the country this week. As part of its mission, the Pollinator Partnership works to protect pollinators–like bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles–through conservation, education and research.
Today we salute the little workhorses of the garden, bees. Gardeners already know that to have a beautiful, productive garden, bees have to like to hang out in it. Especially honey bees.
Honey bees are the best of the insect pollinators and hundreds of fruits and vegetables would disappear if we lost all of our honey bees. But, as many of you already know, our bee populations are in serious trouble. Loss of habitat and use of pesticides are two key reasons why bees are being threatened. Honey bees are also suffering from a mysterious disease called Colony Collapse Disorder. Just this week, researchers identified imported, disease-carrying honeybees as a possible cause of colony collapse.
Sunflower Gardening Helps Bees in Several Ways
The Great Sunflower Project needs gardeners to plant sunflower seeds and to spend a few minutes of time observing bee activity in their gardens.
It’s time to join hands with other gardeners involved in The Great Sunflower Project and plant Lemon Queen sunflower seeds in your garden.
This simple act will help honeybees in two ways: it will provide an important food source and it will help collect information about bee populations across the country.
I wrote about The Great Sunflower Project last year after reading about it in Sunset Magazine. Gretchen LeBuhn, AKA The Queen Bee, is an associate professor of biology at San Francisco State University and the founder of this national effort to get home gardeners to help track bee activity in their backyards.
The Great Sunflower Project needs you
Every summer for the last four years, a cluster of male bees (genus Melissodes) finds this Miscanthus sinensis the perfect place to spend each night.
Ever since I interviewed bee expert Stephen Buchmann a few years ago, I’ve had a soft spot for bees. He told me that one-third of our food supply is derived from insect-pollinated plants and that hundreds of fruits and vegetables would disappear if anything were to happen to the honey bee.
“It’s been stated that if there were no bees and other pollinators, it’s doubtful that the human population could survive for more than a few months,” he said.
Over the last few years, the decline in bee populations across the country has been well-documented. That’s why I was especially pleased to read about Gretchen LeBuhn in the August issue of Sunset Magazine.
Gretchen is an associate professor of biology at San Francisco State University and the founder of the Great Sunflower Project. Thank you, Gretchen!
It’s time to plant your sunflower seeds and join the Great Sunflower Project for 2011.
The Great Sunflower Project is underway! Plant Lemon Queen Sunflowers this weekend and then mark your calendar for July 16. That’s the day of the Great Bee Count of 2011.
If you’re looking for a way to attract more bees to your garden, plant a patch of Lemon Queen sunflowers and join The Great Sunflower Project.
In May I planted a packet of Lemon Queen sunflower seeds so I could be one of the citizen scientists counting bees for the The Great Sunflower Project. The project is the brainchild of Grechen LeBuhn, a professor in the Department of Biology at San Francisco State University.
The project encourages gardeners to plant sunflowers and collect data that will help gauge the health of urban bee populations.
I’m one of about 50,000 gardeners who have signed up to plant and count. So far I’ve submitted the results of three observations.
I don’t know how many bees gardeners are counting in other areas, but I have to say, the bees are loving my Lemon Queens.
During each of my observations honeybees have landed on these sunflowers at nearly one landing per minute during each 15-minute observation.
National Pollinator Week Salute to Bees
It’s time to celebrate National Pollinator Week, June 21-27, with a WesternGardeners.com salute to pollinators. Today we proudly salute bees!
Thanks to the efforts of the Pollinator Partnership, pollinators are being celebrated across the country this week. As part of its mission, the Pollinator Partnership works to protect pollinators–like bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles–through conservation, education and research.
Today we salute the little workhorses of the garden, bees. Gardeners already know that to have a beautiful, productive garden, bees have to like to hang out in it. Especially honey bees.
Honey bees are the best of the insect pollinators and hundreds of fruits and vegetables would disappear if we lost all of our honey bees. But, as many of you already know, our bee populations are in serious trouble. Loss of habitat and use of pesticides are two key reasons why bees are being threatened. Honey bees are also suffering from a mysterious disease called Colony Collapse Disorder. Just this week, researchers identified imported, disease-carrying honeybees as a possible cause of colony collapse.
Sunflower Gardening Helps Bees in Several Ways
The Great Sunflower Project needs gardeners to plant sunflower seeds and to spend a few minutes of time observing bee activity in their gardens.
It’s time to join hands with other gardeners involved in The Great Sunflower Project and plant Lemon Queen sunflower seeds in your garden.
This simple act will help honeybees in two ways: it will provide an important food source and it will help collect information about bee populations across the country.
I wrote about The Great Sunflower Project last year after reading about it in Sunset Magazine. Gretchen LeBuhn, AKA The Queen Bee, is an associate professor of biology at San Francisco State University and the founder of this national effort to get home gardeners to help track bee activity in their backyards.
The Great Sunflower Project needs you
Every summer for the last four years, a cluster of male bees (genus Melissodes) finds this Miscanthus sinensis the perfect place to spend each night.
Ever since I interviewed bee expert Stephen Buchmann a few years ago, I’ve had a soft spot for bees. He told me that one-third of our food supply is derived from insect-pollinated plants and that hundreds of fruits and vegetables would disappear if anything were to happen to the honey bee.
“It’s been stated that if there were no bees and other pollinators, it’s doubtful that the human population could survive for more than a few months,” he said.
Over the last few years, the decline in bee populations across the country has been well-documented. That’s why I was especially pleased to read about Gretchen LeBuhn in the August issue of Sunset Magazine.
Gretchen is an associate professor of biology at San Francisco State University and the founder of the Great Sunflower Project. Thank you, Gretchen!
It’s time to celebrate National Pollinator Week, June 21-27, with a WesternGardeners.com salute to pollinators. Today we proudly salute bees!
Thanks to the efforts of the Pollinator Partnership, pollinators are being celebrated across the country this week. As part of its mission, the Pollinator Partnership works to protect pollinators–like bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles–through conservation, education and research.
The Great Sunflower Project needs gardeners to plant sunflower seeds and to spend a few minutes of time observing bee activity in their gardens.
It’s time to join hands with other gardeners involved in The Great Sunflower Project and plant Lemon Queen sunflower seeds in your garden.
This simple act will help honeybees in two ways: it will provide an important food source and it will help collect information about bee populations across the country.
I wrote about The Great Sunflower Project last year after reading about it in Sunset Magazine. Gretchen LeBuhn, AKA The Queen Bee, is an associate professor of biology at San Francisco State University and the founder of this national effort to get home gardeners to help track bee activity in their backyards.
The Great Sunflower Project needs you
Every summer for the last four years, a cluster of male bees (genus Melissodes) finds this Miscanthus sinensis the perfect place to spend each night.
Ever since I interviewed bee expert Stephen Buchmann a few years ago, I’ve had a soft spot for bees. He told me that one-third of our food supply is derived from insect-pollinated plants and that hundreds of fruits and vegetables would disappear if anything were to happen to the honey bee.
“It’s been stated that if there were no bees and other pollinators, it’s doubtful that the human population could survive for more than a few months,” he said.
Over the last few years, the decline in bee populations across the country has been well-documented. That’s why I was especially pleased to read about Gretchen LeBuhn in the August issue of Sunset Magazine.
Gretchen is an associate professor of biology at San Francisco State University and the founder of the Great Sunflower Project. Thank you, Gretchen!
Every summer for the last four years, a cluster of male bees (genus Melissodes) finds this Miscanthus sinensis the perfect place to spend each night.
Ever since I interviewed bee expert Stephen Buchmann a few years ago, I’ve had a soft spot for bees. He told me that one-third of our food supply is derived from insect-pollinated plants and that hundreds of fruits and vegetables would disappear if anything were to happen to the honey bee.