Lots of Bees on my growbed

[Paige Powell]

Hello all!!!

 

I am fairly new to the AP world, but I'm learning quickly!  I am having a problem with bees walking around my growbed medium.  I'm assuming they are a sign of a healthy system, and I wouldn't mind if there were only 1 or 2...but they seem to keep coming and I am now up to about 3 dozen!!!  I don't want to kill them if I don't have to, but I'm afraid my daughter (or me) will get stung and I'd hate that to happen.  Any advice on what I can do?  And are they a good sign??  Thanks!

Paige

[Green Acre Aquaponics]

What are you growing Paige?  We had a lot of bees and a type of little wasp that hovered around our open micro system last summer when were growing a lot of mint and basil.  We attributed it to a lot of fragrant plants in the system attracting them.   Perhaps you have a hive nearby and your grow beds are a readily available source of nutrition.  I don't think it is an indication of any kind of problem, but I would check around to see where they are coming from and if found then call a professional exterminator to have them removed so they don't continue to multiply!  I would caution about how to kill them too, as you wouldn't want to spray any kind of wasp or hornet killer and get it on the plants and hurt you or in your system and hurt your fish! 

[BenHehle Beamz]

To have bees in your garden, is a great sign and they are ONLY helpfull. -POLINATION- you can try to relocate them by building a Insect Hotel :D http://aquaponicscommunity.com/forum/topics/permaculture-insect-hot...

Or try to cover your APS with an net.

I understand that you are afraid to get stung, but please do not try to get rid of them by using pesticide, bees are farmers friends :D

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Paige,

Do you know the type of bee that are visiting your AP beds? I have a colony of mason bees nesting just 2 feet away from my shade house. They do not sting.I always have to fish net them when they get trapped under the poly and gently release them near the nest. I often get hummingbirds as well and have to do the same.This is an extra job for me in AP but it's a labor of love.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flower_alice/124436962/

[TCLynx]

If you are flooding you beds too deep and are getting water over the media or wet surface media, then you are providing a perfect drinking fountain for the bees.  If you are afraid of getting stung, you might look into providing another "bee drinking fountain a little further away where there is less traffic and adjust the height of flood in the grow bed so you will have less hanging around right by the bed.

 

However, I would personally probably advise learning (and teaching your daughter) to move slowly and carefully around the bees and just leave them to their business because they are great for the garden and unless you or your daughter are dangerously allergic to them, they are a good thing to have around.

[Paige Powell]

Thanks for all the great advice!  TCLynx, I think you might be right, I think I might be flooding my bed too deep...I'll try to fix that today.  Like I said, I wouldn't mind a few bees hanging around but they keep coming and coming and since my daughter is just 18 months old teaching her to stay away will be a task in itself!!!  (Not sure if she is allergic)  I really don't want to kill any of them, I just don't want to be stung myself! 

Harold,  I'm not sure what kind of bee they are but they aren't as solid colored as the one you have pictured.  I'll do a little research about that as well!

 

Thanks again!  This site is WONDERFUL!!!

[Daniel E Murphy]

Please consider that certain wasps dine on white flys and also use them to lay their eggs in.  They may be doing you a great big favor!