Bee Friendly Community

Formation

In the summer of 2015, the City’s Park and Recreation Board signed a resolution to become a “Bee Safe City” at the request of the ABC League of Women Voters.  In the process, members of the ABC League of Women Voters were pleased to learn that Anoka was already practicing procedures of a “Bee Safe City.”

Practices

City staff uses bee-friendly best effort practices including:

• Educating city staff  and citizens about bees - their gifts and needs
• Implementing the adopted resolution
• Planting bee food flowers in some of Anoka’s public spaces since not all flowers are favored by bees
• Publishing a progress report annually for five years with review from the city council
• Refraining from using systemic pesticides on city property
• Turning public spaces into Bee-Safe areas in which all future city plantings (flowers, ground covers, vegetables/fruits, etc.) are free of systemic pesticides

Importance

It is essential that all of us understand the vital role that bees play and what each of us can do to sustain them. Bees are essential in providing our food; they pollinate fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, trees, and agri-industry. Bees are essential in providing our food and help grow the most nutrient dense fruits and vegetables on the planet.

What you plant in your garden can either nurture, harm, or kill bees. Planting more flowers and less grass keeps bees from starving.

What You Can Do to Help

All bees (native and honey bees) are in a grave situation because of habitat loss, pesticides, pathogens, and parasites. Ways you can help include:

• Don’t harm or bother the bees; let them do their busy bee work
• Plant bee-friendly plants and flowers that bloom at different times such as purple coneflowers, sunflowers, bee balm, and autumn joy sedum
• Refrain from using pesticides and herbicides; use alternative mixtures containing tea tree oil, garlic or pepper extracts to ward off spider mites, aphids, fleas, and flies

Bees are not interested in stinging you or being bothersome.  They are busy pollinating and making your garden gorgeous - they are working for us!