I had my first dandelion in the yard last week and I felt such relief! This is a reaction to having been a honey beekeeper, struggling to ensure the bees had enough food to get them through until the flowers become readily available to them in later spring. This is a huge challenge to beekeepers, and one we don’t always have control over in spite of good intent.
Dandelions, being the first flowers to pop up early spring, are absolutely critical to the survival of honeybees. There are lots of sites on the internet with facts, studies, etc., arguing both sides of the dandelion issue; I am not going to regurgitate them here. From my experience, they are a blessing.
Yesterday, I had maybe eight flowers, and I had a honeybee visiting already! I was so delighted to see someone’s bees had survived as mine had not. Beekeepers need all the help they can get to keep these bees going, and the benefits of honeybees in our backyards are numerous.
I implore you to be lazy about mowing your lawn for the first time this spring, and give the bees ample opportunity to feast, revive their stores, and keep them going healthily til more flowers are available. I beg you to be aware of the products you use in your backyard, in your gardens, on your trees; herbicides, pesticides and the like. Bees are most susceptible to these chemicals.
I must remind you that dandelions are actually edible by humans! They may be categorized as ‘weeds’ but they are beneficial in so many ways.
So, relax this spring, sit in your lounge chair outside, watch the bees in your dandelion covered yard and feel good about yourself for giving the bees a fighting chance! Dandelions are NOT our enemies!