Buzz-worthy Bee Habitats
I had originally posted this article on the dire bee situation and how scary the statistics were considering the importance of bees on May 12, 2020 however after the crazy scary week I had, I decided to revisit it. …
Photo by Meggyn Pomerleau
So last week I hopped in the car with my husband to go pick up our daughter at Point Loma High School. It was the typical San Diego sunny day so I rolled down the window to enjoy the breeze. And just like that in what felt like a second, something flew under my glasses, I freaked out , slapped my face and threw my glasses at my husband. … started balling and slightly hyperventilated.
My right eye felt like it was on fire, of course my confused husband stopped the car wondering if I had lost it completely. My daughter was silent ( yup I am sure her future therapist will hear about me) .
I knew I was allergic to bees as once I was stung in the back of my neck while I was in London for a summer abroad program in my teen and a my neck swelled up so they rushed me to the hospital and gave me a shot.
So yes maybe I should have gone to the hospital right away however, a couple of years ago I was stung again on my hand this time and I reacted in a milder way. I had a low grade fever and a little bit of nausea…but nothing scary. That entire situation resolved in a day.
So I am in the car completely panicked, as my husband repeatedly assured me that he doesn’t think I have gotten stung by a bee, because he doesn’t see a mark ( ….Husbands…. ) . I finally muster up enough courage to open my eye and look in the little mirror and see the stinger planted right in the middle of my right eyelid, beneath my piercing, and I calmly scrape off with my nail. ( Bless the adrenalin release)
By now quite a bit of time had passed so I just decided to go home and put ice on my eye as everyone kept saying oh it’s not even swollen you’ll be fine.
So I did and I took a Benadryl and for a while I even forgot about it thinking ok, by tomorrow it will all be better. I did notice a little swelling but since I was on a roll doing what I was not supposed to I googled bee stings and swelling seemed normal especially when stung on the face and the eyes.
Well let me just tell you I can be pretty stubborn.
I woke up in the middle of the night and my eye was twice as swollen, kinda purplish, my cheekbone was swollen and somehow I had by then convinced myself it was all normal.
So I let the entire day go by, I applied ice, took another Benadryl, and the swelling continued to grow, I had nausea and obviously an eye that I pretty much couldn’t open…..but I stayed home.
Until the next morning when the swelling grew to half of my face which by this point was lopsided and droopy on my right size , and my brain finally decided to kick in and I rushed to the emergency room noticing what I had been experiencing was not normal at all. ( Better late than never right?!) .
Of course once I got to see the doctor and I heard myself explaining out loud what happened and how long I waited I felt like a moron ( Other words came to mind but I am not sure they would be appropriate here.)
Even the doctor was speechless for a bit.
I think at one point I even tried to argue that the face swells up more than the rest of the body so I felt it was ok that I waited a bit because I didn’t want to waste the doctor’s time. At this point she explained to me that my face was not slightly swollen but really swollen and that my reaction is obviously a sign of a severe allergy also pointing out that when in doubt always err on the side of caution and go to the doctor.
So here I am, a little over a week has gone, I just finished my heavy duty steroid prescription and antihistamine course and I still feel blah. My entire body still aches although I am getting better.
My eye is still sore and my eyesight is definitely weaker…..hopefully not permanently.
So here something to read in case you want to be better prepared than me in the event of a bee sting :
Photo By : Laura MacNeil
LET’S TALK ABOUT BEES NOW :
There are over 3,500 species of bees native to the United States.
Sadly, because of land over- development and the extensive and frivolous use of chemical pesticides their numbers are in rapid decline.
As a matter of fact , the entire world is experiencing a shortage of bees with some species now completely extinct.
Bees are vital to plants and humans as they are pollinators, which allow all flowers and plants to reproduce. Bees are responsible for 80% of all pollination worldwide, and 90% of our human food crops are reliant on bees.
We can easily do our little part in helping their dire situation by opting for a bee friendly garden and choosing flowering plants that offer nectar and pollen.
To help bees make the most out of their active months, it is ideal to have plants that bloom at different times across the seasons.
Early spring and late autumn blooms will be especially helpful for early foragers or bees going for their last harvest before hunkering down for the winter.
It is also ideal to have a variety of flower shapes - from flat to tubular - to accommodate bees with different tongue sizes. Be sure to prolong your plants' blooms by removing dead blooms and leaves.
Try to include a mixture of trees, shrubs, herbs and flowers - depending on your space - to give bees the variety they need to thrive.
How to select the most “Buzz - Friendly” plants
It is VERY important to avoid using insecticides, herbicides, or pesticides on your plants - even organic ones contain substances that are harmful to bees. Pesticides contain neonicotinoids, chemicals that are a known danger to bees.If we're going to do our part in helping the declining population of bees, we must be adamant about keeping our gardens chemical-free. When purchasing plants from nurseries, make sure they haven't been treated. Also, avoid hybridized plant varieties, as they are often less beneficial for bees .
Because wild bees and wildflowers evolved together, you can be pretty confident that native wildflowers will provide bees with an excellent source of both pollen and nectar.
Different pollinators are active at different times of year, so include a variety of plants that bloom from early spring through late fall. To attract the full spectrum of pollinators, choose plants of various heights, including flowering trees and shrubs, and those with a range of flower shapes and sizes.
Single flowers — those with one ring of petals — provide more nectar and pollen than double flowers, in which extra petals have replaced pollen-laden anthers. Double flowers also make it more difficult for bees to reach the inner flower parts.
Choose Blue, Purple and Yellow flowers.
-Early Spring -
Here are some Spring plants that work magic for bees:
Pansies
Pussy Willow
Snowdrops
-Spring- Summer -
Globe Thistle
English Lavender
Milkweed ( also amazing for Monarch Butterflies)
Foxglove
Cornflower
Borage
Bergamot
Sunflower
Bee balm
Phlox
Zinnias
Marigolds
Chives
Peonies
-Late Summer/Fall-
- Fall -
Fuchsya
Dahlias
Crocus
Liatris
Mint
sage
Nasturtiums
Black Eyes Susan
Borage
Thyme
Oregano
If you are looking into planting something that can help the Monarch butterfly population please take a look at this : HOW TO CREATE A BUTTERFLY GARDEN
