So now we can glean information from the study above, which plants are most beneficial to the bees, and which ones are not.

So now we can glean information from the study above, which plants are most beneficial to the bees, and which ones are not.

It would seem that citral-containing plants are effective against mites without hurting the bees. To plant citral-containing plants will actually help the bees to ward off mite infestations. According to Wikipedia, Citral is present in the oils of several plants, including lemon myrtle (90-98%), Listsea citrata (90%), Litsea cubeba (70-85%), lemongrass (65-85%), lemon tea-tree (70-80%), Ocimum gratissimum (66.5%), Lindera citriodora (approx. 65%), Calypranthes parriculata (approx. 62%), petitgrain (36%), Lemon verbena (30-35%), Lemon ironbark (26%), lemon balm (11%), lime (6-9%), lemon (2-5%), and orange.[4][5][6]

Of these citral-containing plants, lemon verbena might be an excellent choice because it contains linalool, also noted as mite killer according to plant pharmacologist Elizabeth Williamson in her herbal manual, Potters Herbal Cyclopedia. The flavonoids in the plant also would help to strengthen cell membranes against penetration by viruses and bacteria.

Another excellent citral-containing plant choice is lemon balm, which I have also noticed the bees really enjoying in my yard. Lemon balm contains anti-viral rosmarinic acid alongside the mite-killing citral, is calming to the nervous system and aids digestion.

If carvacrol (in Oregano, marjoram and thyme) is found to be “more toxic to mites than to honeybees”, according to the report above, then it follows that carvacrol may be mildly toxic to bees. But only in larger and concentrated dosages, as sprays. Within the context of the plant, where the constituents are more watered-down and counter-balanced by other phytonutrients, the bees would seem to love the carvacrol. As stressed above, carvacrol is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral. And as before, having viral and fungal infections in their intestines, the bees need it! All of us can help the bees by planting oregano and marjoram (as second choice to the oregano). Even urban area residents can leave pots of blooming oregano outside for the bees. And remember too, that bees seem to flock in droves to larger colonies of plants, although a few bees also will go to one single plant.

Despite citronellol in roses being named in the University of Nebraska report to be effective against mites, in my experience I have not seen many bees going to my rose garden. But pelargonium and geranium flowers (also containing citronellol, used in insect repellants and smelling very distinctive) may indeed attract and help the bees to fight off mite infections.

Lavender is a much-loved bee flower too. With the plant’s high linalool content, which has been shown to be effective against mites, the reason why the bees go for it becomes clear. Further, lavender has anti-spasmodic action, helpful to the bees in their intestinal plight.

Menthol would seem to be helpful to bees to fight off mites when administered in smaller amounts, while larger amounts appear to be toxic. Catnip would make a favorable menthol-containing choice for bees, being lower in this constituent than some other plants. The toxic pulegone alongside menthol contained in pennyroyal, also in the mint family, may not be such a wise choice for the bees. With eucalyptus containing the greatest amount of menthol compared to other plants, a tree here or there may also benefit the insects. Of note, when a constituent is present in a herb, it is much more dilute than when using Any isolated chemical. It also is counter-balanced by other herbal nutrients, so to plant eucalyptus droves may be just fine for the bees, so long as concentrated menthol is not used for spraying their hives. In fact, eucalyptus trees may prove beneficial in fighting off beehive mite infestations, by strengthening the bees’ immunity to the mites, resulting in more potent propolis as the bees’ immune status improves.

Linden trees are known in Europe to be “heard singing from half a mile away”, because they are so full of bees. The heady perfume from the feathery flowering panicles, are just lovely without being overpoweringly sweet-smelling either. And the mucilage in linden would soothe the bees’ intestines, and its flavonoids are helpful in preventing cell penetration by viruses and bacteria. A tree with heart-shaped leaves, and cream-colored dangling flower “feathers”, it is a pretty tree which grows very rapidly and to great heights. A good shade tree. See image here: http://www.naturehills.com/images/ProductImages/linden_american_big.jpg

Note that the bees just love bottle brush flowers, for reasons that I do not know (anyone knowledgeable about this, please post below!) In fact, the bottlebrush seems to be the bees’ very favorite plant that I know of, with the exception of ivy which just positively makes the bees go crazy (which, however, has shorter-lived blooms than the bottlebrush).

Our very tall and long ivy hedge in our yard is just a singing bush during bloom season. I will tell you, there must be thousands of bees on it, and not just hundreds! In fact, there may even be tens of thousands. It seems that several entire hives are on our ivy hedge (we have a lot of ivy to accommodate them). Bees seem to love plants when there are big masses of them, I have noticed. But there also may be a reason why they are going for the ivy so madly and so wildly, more than anything I have seen in our yard or even anywhere else. Ivy leaves and berries are full of saponins, which cause the cilia in human trachea to push up any unwanted gunk from the lungs or trachea. Thus, they have an expectorant quality, helping the body to release excess mucus and are used as backup aid in herbal asthma formulas. They contain many anti-viral flavonoids too, plus rosmarinic acid which is anti-oxidant and anti-microbial. Could the ivy flowers be benefiting the bees in a similar way? I do not know for a fact that the saponins and other constituents are as present in the flowers as in the leaves and berries, but do suspect it. If yes, then this would help the bees to throw off any internal infections too. The bees may be smarter than we think.

Apparently, pine phytonutrients may not hurt the bees, but are not particularly effective as anti-mite substances either. The bees may like it, but pine trees may or may not help the bees to ward off mite infections, according to the tests reported above. The anti-oxidants in pine may be very beneficial to the bees in our polluted world, however. And the same can very much be said of rosemary, which the bees love, apparently for good reason.

Here, let me list the most-loved plants by bees, in descending order, with the ones at the top being most-favored of all:

Bottle Brush—benefits not known to author, please post below if known
Ivy flowers—expectorant, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, high flavonoid content helps to build immunity

Linden—some flavonoids and high intestinal-soothing mucilage content, anti-microbial

Oregano—contains carvacrol, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal

Jasmine—attracts insect pollinators in general, hummingbirds go for the night-blooming variety

Rosemary—-strong anti-oxidant, very good antimicrobial and anti-viral

Lavender—-anti-mite, antispasmodic for bees’ intestines

Lemon balm—anti-viral, soothing, relaxes digestive spasms

Catnip—-contains menthol, anti-mite

Geranium, pelargonium—antimicrobial

Pine—-anti-oxidant but no particular anti-mite activity

Eucalyptus—high menthol content, anti-mite but overdose of concentrated menthol not good for the bees

Don’t forget that bees fly back to their hives to let the colony know of a massive food source: Planting in bulk (if possible) is key to nurturing the many, many bees found in one single hive .

Urban area residents can plant pots of oregano, marjoram, mint and geraniums, letting each go to bloom instead of traditionally pinching the flowers back. The same can be done by suburban patio gardeners. Rural residents can plant eucalyptus, linden, bottlebrush and pine trees, while also planting the above-mentioned flowering herbs around their garden plots. Lavender, rosemary (which is well known for its antimicrobial, anti-oxidant and antiviral properties) and pelargonium are great bee favorites too. Not to mention the ivy flowers, their favorite of all. Those of us who have a large enough yard can consider purchasing a beehive, planting the bee-fostering plants, and provide the bees with an organic haven. All of us can help the bees by ourselves cultivating our outdoor plants organically. Write well-researched letters to the editor, stressing the important point of pesticides as fundamental die-off cause and where one can purchase organics as inexpensively as possible. Contact school newsletter editors, asking them to write about this topic and the solutions: Children are concerned about environmental issues, and love to feel empowered. College newspaper editors might be very interested to get on board too. Healthfood store grocers, nurseries, beekeepers and master gardeners may have their own newsletter, where information can be printed. Try your local County Fair Administration: Ask them to do a theme of Sustaining the Bees as one of their annual 4th of July fair features (exhibits, lectures, beekeepers, demonstrations, leaflets, you name it). Perhaps your local Community College might consider a lecture or course in sustaining the bees, as part of their Community Education Program. Post to blogs, become the media! And how about a Bee-Sustaining Theme Garden, with plaques, at agricultural schools? Working together as one global human chain, we can not only stop the bee colony die-off by avoiding pesticide-sprayed foods, but we can even help the bees to recover their immunity by planting or growing bee-nurturing plants in pots. Now what do you think of that. Hope springs eternal.