Tim Hearden/Capital Press Palo Cedro, Calif., queen bee breeder Shannon Wooten shows bees he's about to use for a “bee beard” demonstration at the annual Palo Cedro Honeybee Festival on Sept. 10. He said planting more wildflowers will help bees find forage in between nut and fruit tree blossoms, but it isn't the only solution.
Gumplant thrives next to an almond orchard in Yolo County, Calif., in August. A University of California study finds that wildflowers planted near nut and fruit orchards can help bees find more forage after the blossom.
Tim Hearden/Capital Press Palo Cedro, Calif., queen bee breeder Shannon Wooten shows bees he's about to use for a “bee beard” demonstration at the annual Palo Cedro Honeybee Festival on Sept. 10. He said planting more wildflowers will help bees find forage in between nut and fruit tree blossoms, but it isn't the only solution.
Gumplant thrives next to an almond orchard in Yolo County, Calif., in August. A University of California study finds that wildflowers planted near nut and fruit orchards can help bees find more forage after the blossom.
PALO CEDRO, Calif. — Planting strips of wildflowers next to fruit and nut orchards and other crops can benefit bees searching for forage in between blossoms, a University of California study asserts.
They also help with pest control by attracting beneficial insects which wander into adjacent crops and ward off natural enemies, asserts Rachael Freeman Long and other researchers from the UC’s Agriculture and Natural Resources division.
