Is Borage Good For Bees?

Borage, in my book, is one of the most versatile plants you can grow in your garden. It’s edible, medicinal, and perhaps best of all it’s a powerhouse for supplying pollen and nectar for bees, wasps and other beneficial insects.

What plant produces the most nectar for bees?

Use these seven plants to help your bees with honey production.

1. Sunflowers. Beekeeping is a great hobby with a delicious reward: honey!
2. Goldenrod. Honey bees harvest these bright yellow plants for their nectar.
3. Cosmos. Cosmos is another flower that can help increase honey production.
4. Coriander.
5. Mint.
6. Lavender.
7. Coneflowers.

What is borage good for in the garden?

In the garden, the uses of borage include repelling pests such as hornworms, attracting pollinators, and aiding any plants it is interplanted with by increasing resistance to pests and disease. It is also helpful to, and compatible with, most plants — notably tomatoes, strawberries and squash.

What is the best thing to plant for bees?

Which Flowers Are Best for Bees?

• Annuals have the advantage of blossoming all season long. Bees flock to alyssum, cleome, zinnias, sunflowers, salvia, calendula, and verbena.
• Your culinary herbs such as sage, thyme, borage, lavender, chives, dill, basil, oregano, rosemary, and mint can do double duty.

Are borage and comfrey the same thing?

Though they are members of the same plant family (Boraginaceae), perennial comfrey (​Symphytum officinale​, USDA zones 4-8) and annual borage (​Borago officinalis​) are two different plants. These cousins both boast dark green foliage and fuzzy leaves.

What is the best forage for honey bees?

Establishing a Bee Pasture

• Single-year productive bee pastures are made of annual clovers, wildflowers, and ornamentals that collectively bloom for most of one forage season.
• Multi-year productive bee pastures have perennial blooming flowers and some woody vines and bushes.

What is toxic to honey bees?

One group of insecticides which is highly toxic to honey bees cannot be applied to blooming crops when bees are present without causing serious injury to colonies. Among the materials in this high-risk category are diazinon, Imidan, malathion and Sevin.

Why do farmers plant borage?

One of the main reasons for planting Borage here at Hillfarm is to boost our population of bees, and help them to make our delicious hillfarm honey. Bees absolutely love Borage, and when the flowers bloom they will start collecting the pollen.

What should not be planted with borage?

Avoid planting near Brassicas or potatoes. Borage is said to improve the growth and flavour of squash. Marigolds and nasturtium repel numerous squash pest insects.

What pests does borage deter?

Borage – This plant is a real workhorse in the garden. It repels tomato hornworms and cabbage worms and attracts beneficial bees and wasps.

What is bees favorite flower?

1. Bee balm (Monarda spp.) This plant is called “bee balm” because it was once used to treat bee stings, but bees really are obsessed with the flowers.

What plant do bees not like?

Geraniums. Geraniums can be helpful in repelling bees, particularly red geraniums, as bees cannot see the color red. It may seem counterintuitive that a flower would repel bees, but these flowers contain little to no pollen and have a scent that the stinging pest does not particularly like.

How do I make my garden more bee-friendly?

How to Plant a Bee-Friendly Garden

1. Choose bee-friendly flowers and trees.
2. Plant flowers that are in bloom at different times of the year.
3. Avoid using pesticides.
4. Avoid plants with lots of petals.
5. Don’t get rid of all the weeds.
6. Make bee hotels.
7. Provide a good source of water for the bees.

Should I cut back borage?

Cut back borage plants by half their size in midsummer to encourage reblooming. Blossom clusters make beautiful but short-lived cut flowers or edible garnishes.

Is borage invasive?

Borage is often referred to as invasive because of its rampant self-seeding habit. However, the seedlings are easy to identify and remove so it rarely becomes a major problem. Borage leaves and flowers are edible and have a cucumber flavor.

Is borage toxic to dogs?

Unfortunately, these plants are not good for your dog or other small animals, causing intestinal upset, respiratory distress, and can be fatal if not treated right away. If you think your dog has eaten borage, it is essential to take your furry friend to the veterinarian or animal hospital right away.

What flowers make toxic honey?

Toxic honey is most commonly made from the nectar of Rhododendron luteum and Rhododendron ponticum. Other plants also produce toxic honey, with a range of effects and degree of toxicity.

What plants produce the most honey?

Some of the plants that are most attractive to bees and produce high quality honey are the flowers of blackberries, fruit and citrus trees, herbs (like rosemary, borage and sage), flowering bushes, clover and other wild flowers and, in the case of Monte-Bellaria, lavender.

What can I plant for bee hives?

Bulbs such as crocuses, snowdrops, and hyacinths emerge early in the spring and bees love them. Herbs such as borage, rosemary, and lavender are early bloomers. Many fruiting trees such as apple, peach, and plum, bloom as soon as it starts to warm up and the bees are beginning to leave the hive in search of food.

What kills bees instantly?

Bees cannot handle vinegar, causing them to die almost instantaneously after exposure. Simply mixing a solution of strong vinegar and water is all you have to do to get rid of small amounts of bees in your home. If you want to prevent bees from coming back, you might want to set up areas of your house with vinegar.

Are any plants poisonous to bees?

Rhododendron from the heath family (Ericaceae) is poisonous to bees and humans. It contains an andromedotoxin. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) also contains an andromedotoxin which can poison humans. California buckeye (Aesculus californica) – has caused losses of honey bee colonies throughout its range.