An Excellent Time To Help Preserve Utah’s Diverse Population

Utah is known as the beehive state as you well know. It turns out that the name is very appropriate. Utah has a more diverse population of bees than any other state. Utah is home to 1,100 different kinds of bees.

This is actually great news for our plants because the diverse colony hosted in Utah makes for a stronger pollination army. The diversity of the bee means more cross-pollination making hartier plants.

As you can imagine in this world of good news/bad news there is some bad news. Our bee population is in danger of shrinking. Why? You guessed it, the same problem that seems to be haunting every corner of the animal kingdom, human expansion.

Before you pick up your roots and move to somewhere that won't be affected by your homestead, like the moon, let me give you some good news.

First, interestingly enough fall is a great time to help out our bee buddies. Everyone thinks of pollination and bee activity in the spring, but it turns out the fall is a good window of bee activity as well.

With that in mind, you could plant this fall and put in some native plants that the bees are used to using in our state. Also when pruning consider leaving some perennials to support the winter needs of our bee populace. They may not be active, but it will give them a place to lay low while the weather is too cold for activity. Then you can clear those plants out in the spring.

Finally, a big obvious burden on the bees is insecticides. Be aware of what you are using and maybe take it easy this year. Share some of your space with the smaller populace.

Hopefully these simple steps will be an easy way to maintain our #1 spot for bee diversity for this beehive state.