“For more than a decade, ecologists have been warning of a downward trend in bumble bee populations across North America, with habitat destruction named as one of many culprits in those losses.” Previous studies have shown that deer and invasive shrubs reduce the abundance of flowering plants in forests. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2021.) We cannot live without bees as they help pollinate approximately 75% of the world’s flowering plants and 35% of the world’s food crops which is mandatory for our ecosystem.
I live in River’s Edge Estates, so like many of you I know which plants and flowers the deer eat. What I have noticed over the last month is that they deer do not eat the lavender and they bees love it. Here is a great article on it as well. What is key to bee survival though is getting those early spring flowers. I hope you will keep this in mind when planning your landscaping.
Of course we probably couldn’t have that image below, but isn’t it beautiful?
Penni McDaniel
