When you see a bee sitting still in a flower at dusk, don't assume she is being lazy. She's doing one of the most important things in nature. Following a very important sleep schedule that most gardeners don't think about, she is directly impacting the success of your garden.
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Check PriceSleeping Patterns of Bees
Humans and bees have different sleep patterns. Bees sleep for a total of 5-8 hours a day. While bees sleep, their antennae also stop moving and the temperature of their body actually drops. During this time, the wings of the bee fold against their body and remain completely stationary. This time is not just some break for the brain of the bee, this time is essential brain maintenance that improves the performance of the bee's pollination.
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Studies reveal that bees that are sleep-deprived do worse on almost all tasks in the garden. Sleep-deprived bees are unable to remember where flowers are located, make more errors while navigating back to the hive, and are less successful at performing their waggle dance. However, the most important thing for your garden is that tired bees visit about 30% less flowers and collect 30% less pollen and nectar compared to well rested bees.
Where Bees Choose to Sleep
The sleeping habits of bees can change based on different species. Honeybees sleep inside of hives with worker bees cycling sleep shifts so that the colony can keep making honey. However, solitary bees which are 90% of allbee species, have to sleep outside everyday.
Some solitary bees use special petals of flowers as their sleeping quarters. Some even use trumpet-shaped flowers because they give protection from the wind and predators. Flowers like morning glories, squash blossoms, and those with deep cups become hotels for these bees. Some species even sleep together communally. They can be seen gathered together on the stems of the plant and actually grabbing each other by the feet for warmth and security.
Constructing Ideal Bee Accommodations in Your Garden
Knowing what bees need for a sleeping area will greatly improve the productivity of your garden. Bees require sleeping platforms and flowers that stay open late in the evening. Sunflowers are perfect for this purpose because their large petals that support many bees, and their flower heads last a long time for repeat visits.
Four o'clocks open in the afternoon, which is perfect because they open when the bees are looking for places to sleep. Their trumpet flowers are great for shelter. In addition, they bloom all summer and into the fall. Additionally, the Bee balm has clustered flowers and strong stems that give bees the same sleeping opportunities.
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The Memory Connection
There’s even more amazing sleep-related understanding gone on with bees that’s relevant to gardeners. During their rest, bees process and strengthen memories. That means they remember which flowers had the best nectar, the best way to travel from one plant to another, and even the weather.
Researchers have differentiated ‘flower fidelity’ as the behavior bees exhibit when they repeatedly visit the same blooming flowers (as opposed to a more random pollination pattern), focusing their activity on a limited number of plant species. This increases the efficacy of bee pollination because of the cross-pollination that occurs between flowers of the same species with each bee visit.
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You can consider planting evening shelter options in the form of later blooming species. For example, evening primrose opens at dusk and remains open for the whole night. Similarly, four o'clock flowers only open at 4 PM, and will be open until morning. Most plants close their flowers at night to protect their parts from moisture and temperature changes.
When you deadhead your plants, you may want to consider leaving a few spent flower heads behind. While the dried blooms won't offer any nectar, they do provide a great sleeping platform to many types of bees. In fact, many bees prefer dried blooms to the bare leaves on the plant.
The Colony Effect
When you help bees sleep well in a garden, it isn't just support for a single insect; you are helping the entire colony. Well rested forager bees return to the hive with more valuable knowledge about where to find resources in your garden. They are more accurate in their descriptions about where the best flowers are and the quality of nectar. This gives rise to an increase in worker bees tending to your plants.
This improves bee activity and will create a positive feedback loop. Improving sleep resources for some bees will increase overall bee activity in your garden. Heavier bee traffic and more thorough coverage of flowers will be visible within weeks.
Signs of Sleep-Deprived Bees
Identifying exhausted bees can help you determine if your garden supplies adequate rest resources. Overtired bees tend to move more slowly between flowers, spend less time at each bloom, and exhibit erratic flying patterns instead of following efficient flight paths. They may also look like they 'bounce off' flowers instead of landing cleanly.
If you see these behaviors often, then your garden needs more evening shelter plants or overnight flower options. Just a few strategically placed sleep-friendly plants can improve the bee activity in your whole garden.
Beyond Flowers: Full Sleep Habitat
The ideal bee beds blend protection and safety. For example, plant sleep flowers next to bushes, or other structures that break the wind. Do not put night lights near bee sleep places as they will interfere with the bees' natural sleep patterns.
Leave parts of your yard 'messy' with things like plant cuttings and other natural debris. Many ground-nesting bees use this stuff to make temporary shelters. These areas are often used as nesting sites the next spring and the bees will remain in your garden rather than just visiting.
