We love everything's bees. So in this month’s edition of bee news..
also have less visual acuity than us. This basically means how well you can see details from a distance. Bees have really bad acuity, with multi- faceted compound eyes that see amazingly up close, but really badly from afar. This means the bees must get real close, like less than 60 centimeters to see. Instead, they rely on scent to find flowers. So what flowers should you plant come spring? Long story short, bees love white and blue flowers. I mean think about it, you always see clover honey! By planting flowers that are these colors, you will be drawing in the bees!
Vancouver Park Gets a Makeover to Create a Bee Heaven
With the help of hundreds of residents, a Vancouver park has transformed into a pollinator's paradise! This 0.3-acre park received around 1,500 flowering plants, which includes mints, sages, asters and bee balms. This is just the first phase of a long-term plan to develop a space that spans the entire block of where the park is situated. Not only is this a paradise for pollinators, the park also revolves around sustainability practices, such as rainwater cistern (this is used as a rainwater capture for the wet season and a watering solution for dry the season). Parks like these are essential to our little guys who seek out safety in cities for their lack of pesticides and the diversity of plants. Hopefully we see a lot more of these parks pop up in our areas!
The Color Difference: What Colors Do Pollinators Prefer?
In ancient times, flowers weren’t as eye-catching as we see today. Pigments were a duller version and had a pale yellow or green appearance. This evolution was sparked in order to attract the pollinators, like our friends the bees! You see, the bees see a completely different world, and the plants around us have evolved their colors to match the specific visual systems of these pollinators. While our eyes can see three different colors — red, blue and green, bees can’t see red, but they can see blue and green, as well as ultraviolet light. This means colors look very different to what we see, and they can see things we can’t see. Beesalso have less visual acuity than us. This basically means how well you can see details from a distance. Bees have really bad acuity, with multi- faceted compound eyes that see amazingly up close, but really badly from afar. This means the bees must get real close, like less than 60 centimeters to see. Instead, they rely on scent to find flowers. So what flowers should you plant come spring? Long story short, bees love white and blue flowers. I mean think about it, you always see clover honey! By planting flowers that are these colors, you will be drawing in the bees!
