Topic: Low maintenance anti-bee garden, suggestions please!

[hellohelenhere]

Hi all
I'm helping with a garden, for a couple who would expressly like to deter bees; their son is anaphylactically allergic to them, and what's more, he is blind, so more likely perhaps to put his hand on one or sit on one, than most people. So, they would like flowers that bees are NOT attracted to, quite a puzzle for me as I'm usually aiming for the opposite.
Also, the couple in question have many health problems, including back problems, which make stooping very difficult. So I'd like to choose low-maintenance plants and good reliable ground cover to make weeding less necessary.

Any suggestions on that brief? :)

I've heard that double flowers are less attractive, as they either don't produce nectar, or the bees can't reach it; also long tubules, and red flowers. Yellow, white and blue supposedly are the *most* attractive.

Anyone know more about this?

[Palustris]

I would suggest dwarf conifers and none flowering evergreens. Yes double flowers where the anthers etc. have become petal like do not produce pollen so not attractive to bees.

[ceres]

Plants that make pleasing sounds in the breeze like ornamental grasses and bamboo.

[hellohelenhere]

I should mention that the (adult) blind son does not live at the house - his mother just doesn't want him to get stung when he visits! So, we're not planning a blind garden as such, just one with minimal bee attraction. :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

There are plenty of plants which bees don't visit. Obviously, grasses and other wind-pollinated flowers. I've never come across a list of flowers which don't get visited, but I do have lists of plants which attract bees if you want to list what you're thinking of planting. I'm not particularly impressed with lists I've seen on the net, but here's one which isn't too bad: http://www.themelissagarden.com/plants.html It will at least give you an idea of what to avoid.

[Bjerreby]

How about a rockery with cactii?

[PurpleHeather]

That is a scary problem, at least bees do usually make a noise when they are nearby.

I know we are all caring people but I do think that when we have a known problem, it can tend to make us paranoid. I was stung as a child by a bee who got tangled in my long hair. Since then I have not. Certainly not because I have not been near bees either, we have a hive on site and I have often stood watching the bees going in and out because I find it rather therapeutic.

My point is, that we do often organise our lives to avoid something which is not likely to happen.

Having noticed that cats are always attracted to people who hate them most, perhaps that could be the case with other creatures.

I would look out for something like an insect repellent for a person to wear, avoid eating sweet things out doors which attracts bees away from the flowers and blossoms they should be visiting. Having the antidote available at all times.

Bee and wasp stings are relatively rare, but one chap on our site, who wears a lovely after shave told us he has been stung a few times. I mentioned to him that his after shave may be attracting them and he said he had not thought of that and since stopping using it, has not been stung.

[hellohelenhere]

Hehe, funny about the aftershave! Yes, it's possible that the mother is a bit over-concerned about bees, but then it's her garden, I guess bees just make her a bit tense and therefore she wants fewer of them rather than more of them; so specifically asked me not to choose any flowers that are very attractive to them. Not something I'd ever had to consider before! Mind you, there are so few honey bees about, these days, it's probably less of an issue. I know I mostly see bumble bees and solitary bees, in recent years - very few honey bees, which are the ones that sting. (Some of the others can sting, mildly, but almost never do.)
Her son nearly died last time he was stung, so I can see why it worries her.

I'm trying to work out now which flowers are the ones that don't provide nectar and pollen, it seems highly-bred doubles is the way to go. She does want colourful flowers - you can see this is quite a complicated brief! :D

[lewic]

How about a rockery with cactii?

Cacti may not be the best thing for a blind person!!

[hellohelenhere]

A rockery might not be a bad idea. That could be low maintenance, with the right plants.

[PurpleHeather]

Found out that they dislike wormwood. I have heard of it but can't picture what it is.

I was told there is no deterrent commercially available, the advice is to avoid sweet foods, sweet smelling scents and bright clothes.

Another point. It occurred to me if the bees have plenty to go at, loads of flowers then they wont be looking round for other things, a busy bee is a happy bee theory. If there is nothing for them to fly to, they could start looking for something else.

They dislike smoke, so your friend may like to fill the garden with lit jos stick type things when her son is about. Camphor burning or something. Sounds pretty morbid though.

[hellohelenhere]

I didn't know they disliked wormwood, how interesting. That's Artemesia, very pretty plant, with an interesting scent! Absinthe is flavoured with it. There's a variety called 'Powys Castle', which is from my hometown, Welshpool. :)

Perhaps I'll suggest some clumps of that around the patio doors.

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you want a bee deterrent try artificial vanilla flavouring. There are others but that's the most easily obtained.

[hellohelenhere]

Artificial vanilla - who would have thought? Thanks for that. You keep bees, don't you, Robert? You must know quite a lot about their likes and dislikes.

I'm going the opposite direction in my own garden, trying to maximise the bee attraction. I've started to notice and identify bees lately, like the Hairy-Footed-Flower-Bees who seem quite frequent here, also various extremely large bumble bees. (I rescued one from the lean-to the other day, that was the size of a small mouse!). I'm going to make some bee homes to try to encourage them. I love the sound of them while I'm out in the garden; sounds so relaxing, even though the reality is that they are slaving themselves to exhaustion!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I once had some experimental plastic foundation for bee combs, which had been made manufactured by a firm which knew nothing of bes. It had been sprayed with the stuff, and it had to be scrubbed clean before use. Even then, my bees weren't too keen!

[Melbourne12]

I'm a bit hesitant about posting, since we haven't yet started keeping bees, so all our knowledge is "book learning".  But I'm given to understand that oil of wintergreen is a natural bee repellent, so try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrola http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaultheria_procumbens http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betula_classification#Subgenus_Betulenta_-_Wintergreen_oil_birches and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiraea