5 tips to keep bees buzzing in your yard

Despite being stung an estimated 1,000 times, urban beekeeper Yens Pedersen has nothing but love for bees, and he offerssome tips on how too keep themaround.

"Watching them and doing something that not too many people feel comfortable with, that's pretty neat," he told CBC Saskatchewan's Blue Sky.

Pedersen is with the Regina and District Bee Club and he comes from several generations of beekeepers. Though honeybees in many parts of the world are suffering from die-offs, this year in Saskatchewan bees, in general, are buzzing.

Pedersen says that's because of a dry, warmspring. He says people in his club are responding to calls about swarms of honeybeesas well as bumblebee colonies. Normally the colonies are the size of softballs. But this yearthey are soccerball size.

If you want to keep these good pollinators around, here are Pedersen's tips.

• Plant bee-friendly flowers. There are many,including poppies, marigolds, caraganas, asters, bee balm, sage, as well as melons, herbs and tomatoes.
• Get plants that flower at different times of the yearso the bees have a steady supply of food.
• Have a special water source for bees. "On a hot day they need water just like the rest of us," said Pedersen. He says a dripping hose or a water dish with marbles or pebbles will allow bees to be able to land to have a cool drink.
• Keep your dandelions. Lawn herbicides aren't usually toxic to bees according to Pedersen, but dandelions are a good source of pollen and nectar when other flowers aren't up yet.
• Avoid insecticide sprays or treatments. He says these will kill bees. Also, he said, some garden flowers have actually been treated with insecticides before you buy them, so avoid those as well.