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How to attract bees to your garden

Bees sitting on flower.

Overview

Bees and other pollinators play an essential role in our world. Did you know that bees are responsible for one of every three bites of food worldwide? The produce we eat depends heavily on bees and their role in pollination. Bees are an essential part of a healthy and thriving ecosystem.

They are also a great asset to your garden, helping to pollinate plants, especially vegie patches. If you have been growing vegies and are looking to increase your yearly yield, think about attracting more bees to your garden. This helpful guide will help you learn how.

Safety tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, ear muffs, gloves and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

Tools and materials

Tools

Materials

Steps

  1. 1

    Grow plants that attract bees

    Start by cultivating a wide range of plants in your garden that will flower in each season, attracting bees throughout the year. Bees love native plants, as well as flowers and plants of different colours that are clumped closely together, so keep this in mind when thinking about how you wish to plant your garden.

    Here’s a quick guide to plants that attract bees in different seasons. If you want more information, speak with one of our helpful Team Members in-store.

    • Early season: Winter can be tough for bees, but you can attract them with perennials like golden alexanders, larkspur and columbine; alternatively, go for early spring blooming fruits like cherries, plums and raspberries.

    • Mid-season: Flowers like anise hyssop, black-eyed susans and coneflowers are all considered to be bee heaven. 

    • Late season: Plants that will keep bees happy include dahlias, asters and ironweeds.

    • Fragrant herbs like lavender, oregano, rosemary and parsley will attract bees into your vegie patch. 

    Green Bunnings hammer
    Tip: Provide your bees with some food and drink by keeping a terracotta saucer filled with a little fresh water and a bamboo stick coated with a bit of honey near your flowers or vegie patch.
    Flower plant in garden which attracts bees. 
  2. 2

    Use non-toxic pest control methods

    Protect bees by adopting bee-friendly gardening principles. Try not to use pesticides or insecticides on your plants as this can make them poisonous for a long time, which could accidentally kill native bees. Instead, try bee-friendly home remedies or organic options that don’t have harmful ingredients.

    Leaves with pest infestation.
  3. 3

    Provide a place for your bees to stay

    You can keep bees around by giving them a place to stay, like an adorable bee hotel! A bee hotel is a safe place for bees to take shelter if they’ve been caught out in bad weather and don’t have time to return to their hive. It’s small enough to allow them to rest safely, where no birds or larger insects can get to them. To install a bee hotel, simply place it near your flowers or attach it to a tree.

    House for bees put on tree.
  4. 4

    Want to attract bees into your home garden?

    We have a wide range of gardening supplies and bee-attracting plants to choose from.

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Health & Safety

Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.

When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.