Homeowners can do a lot to help the bee population from declining by providing food, shelter, and a safer environment right in their own yards. Even a balcony, patio, or small lawn can become part of a larger network of “bee-safe” spaces that support both wild bees and managed honey bees.​

Plant for bees all season

Bees need nectar and pollen from early spring through late fall, not just during peak summer. Homeowners can help by:​

• Planting a mix of flowers that bloom at different times of year, including early bulbs (like crocus), spring perennials, and late-flowering plants such as asters and goldenrod.​

• Choosing mostly native plants, which tend to match local bees’ needs better than many exotic ornamentals.​

• Planting in clusters or patches rather than single scattered plants, so bees can forage efficiently in one spot.​

Trees and shrubs are especially valuable: one flowering tree can provide as much food as a whole bed of small plants, so adding willows, maples, fruit trees, or other bee-friendly species is a powerful step if space allows.​

Reduce or eliminate chemicals

Many common lawn and garden products harm bees directly or weaken them over time. To make a yard safer:​

• Avoid insecticides, especially systemic types and sprays used on blooming plants or just before they flower.​

• Limit herbicides and allow some “weeds” like clover and dandelions to bloom, since they can be important food sources.​

• If treatment is absolutely necessary, choose bee-safer options, apply them in the evening when bees are not flying, and keep sprays off flowers.​

Healthy soil and diverse plantings often reduce pest problems naturally, so shifting toward more organic, low-input gardening makes it easier to avoid harsh chemicals.​

Create nesting and shelter spaces

Many wild bees nest in the ground or in hollow stems, not in hives. Homeowners can support them by:​

• Leaving some bare or lightly vegetated patches of soil in sunny, well-drained spots where ground-nesting bees can dig.​

• Letting stems, twigs, and small brush piles remain through winter so cavity-nesting bees can use them, cutting back only in late spring.​

• Adding simple bee houses with correctly sized, clean tubes, and placing them in a sheltered, sunny location.​

Providing shelter from wind and heavy rain—with hedges, shrubs, or dense plantings—also helps bees conserve energy while foraging.​

Offer clean water

Bees need water to drink, cool their nests, and dilute honey. A bee-friendly yard includes:​

• A shallow “bee bath,” such as a dish, plant saucer, or bird bath with stones, pebbles, or corks for safe landing spots.​

• Regularly refreshed water to prevent mosquitoes and keep the source clean.​

Position the water where it gets some sun but does not overheat, and keep it in the same place so bees learn to rely on it.​

Rethink the lawn

Conventional lawns offer very little for pollinators. To turn them into bee habitat:​

• Replace parts of turf with native flowers, flowering groundcovers, or mixed meadow-style plantings.​

• Mow less often and at a slightly higher setting to allow clover, violets, and other low flowers to bloom.​

• Consider “bee lawns” that blend drought-tolerant grasses with flowering species like white clover and self-heal.​

Even leaving one corner of the yard “messy” and unmown can provide vital forage and nesting spots.​

Support wider pollinator efforts

Individual yards are powerful, but networks of bee-friendly spaces are even better. Homeowners can:​

• Talk with neighbors or homeowner associations about reducing pesticide use and planting more pollinator-friendly plants in common areas.​

• Join local or national “bee-friendly garden” or certification programs to access plant lists, signage, and community support.​

• Share observations through citizen science projects that track bee sightings, helping scientists monitor pollinator health.​

By combining diverse plantings, fewer chemicals, nesting habitat, and clean water, homeowners can transform ordinary spaces into refuges that genuinely help bees survive and thrive.