Bees in the edible garden March 17 exchange topic
Bees play an important role in feeding the world. Without them to pollenate, we have no food. Simple as that.
At March’s Edible Gardening Exchange, the guest speaker will be Beverly DeMarco, a registered Florida beekeeper of Lehigh Acres. She will discuss bees and their role in the edible garden.
She will discuss how to get bees to the edible garden year round for the best pollination and harvest, as well as the anatomy of the honeybee.
“You have to put something in the garden so that bees consistently come to the garden for pollination. They won’t go to just anything. They’re fussy,” DeMarco said.
DeMarco will tell gardeners which plants to grow so the honeybees will come, as well as the bloom dates. She said if you know what blooms when and what will attract the honeybee, you will have the bees in the garden.
She will also talk about how the honeybee collects the pollen.
“As the bees fly through the air, there is an electrical charge that happens to the bee’s ‘fur,'” DeMarco said. “When the bee lands on the bloom, the pollen is magnetically attracted to the bee.”
Bees tend to go to all fruits and select vegetables like squashes, DeMarco said.
She will also speak about Mason bees, which are better pollinators, and are unusual because they are solitary, meaning they don’t live in a colony.
“There’s no work involved. You don’t have to put a suit on. Once you get the starter kit, you can get them to reproduce without having to buy stuff on a yearly basis,” DeMarco said.
Join other edible gardeners on Thursday, March 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Fort Myers Rec Center.
As always, arrive at 5:30 p.m. for an open and informal chat on edible topics. Consider bringing something to share with other gardeners (seeds, plants, a snack). Bring your own cup for free coffee and tea.
All fees are paid at the front desk. Fee for this last class of a series is $10. Lee Parks and Rec lifetime membership card is also required which is a one-time fee of $10 per person.
For more information, contact Karen Harty at (610) 530-8883.