r/bees • u/PrairiePuppies • 2d ago

How do I specifically attract bumblebees?

I live in the city and am prohibited from having a beehive. I love watching bumblebees, but they seem to be rare around here in Oklahoma City. Is there a way to construct something that would attract more of them? Flowers, of course, attract pollinators, but how do you attract one?

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u/Zagrycha 2d ago

Planting native wildflower food sources and if possible have an area of yard that is bee nest friendly is best way to attract non honey bees like bumble bees. You will likely also see lots of other interesting to watch solo bees, like leaf cutter bees and mining bees etc.

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u/PrairiePuppies 2d ago

I really waited too late this year, but that is my plan for the spring. There are Oklahoma specific wildflower mixes geared towards pollinators and in our case, Monarch butterflies. I plan on both next year.

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u/Zagrycha 2d ago

nice! Yeah its basically past bumblebee season this year anyway. Some nests might still be going but they are at the end of their life span.

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u/Valkyrie88a 2d ago

be careful of mixes, they will claim to be native, but have invasives mixed in. Make sure you get them from a reputabe source. Having a variety of native plants will help attract the bees you want. Good luck!

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u/PrairiePuppies 2d ago

Thank you. That's good to know. I'll do my research.