Many pollinators, including butterflies, bees, flies, and even hummingbirds, find daylilies to be attractive. The fact that these small organisms can easily collect the nectar they require to survive thanks to their cup-like form contributes to part of their attractiveness.
From the standpoint of a gardener, daylilies are available in so many different kinds that it is simple to incorporate them into any landscape—even the smallest balcony or patio. Daylilies are extremely forgiving and simple to grow, making them suitable for gardeners of all skill levels, from amateur to professional.
Which ones are best for you, then? Commercial and home growers have different opinions on which daylilies are the best in luring pollinators. Bees and hovering flies appear to have no preference for any particular daylily, although butterflies and hummingbirds are more particular. Some growers feel the deep red flowersespecially those with contrasting yellow centersare best for attracting butterflies and hummers while others say the lighter or brilliant yellow colours are constantly abuzz. Even one container of daylilies is a terrific place to start. Planting more than one kind may boost your chances of attracting pollinators.
What kinds of plants don’t draw bees?
Although pollination by bees is necessary for flowers, as we all taught in school, it doesn’t imply we want them swarming around in our backyards. Bees and wasps can quickly ruin time spent outside, whether you are allergic to them or not. Don’t let your fear of being stung prevent you from having fun this summer. When it comes to fending off bees and wasps, a few simple changes to your landscape can have a significant impact. A list of 10 plants that deter bees and wasps is provided below. Resuming your season-long enjoyment after adding some to your backyard landscaping.
Of course, if you notice any bees or wasps on your property, call your neighbourhood Ehrlich Pest Control office to find out what you can do to get rid of them and stop them from coming back.
Cucumber
This well-liked vegetable not only enhances summer salads but also deters wasps and bees. The acidic cucumber peels’ harsh flavour turns off bees and wasps.
There are several ways you may make use of cucumbers in your yard. You may either scatter cucumber peels across the garden or grow cucumber plants that will produce fresh fruit for snacks and drinks. Cucumbers are tropical vegetables, so if you decide to grow them, you’ll need warm weather and lots of moisture.
Basil
Another wonderful plant for your garden that serves as both a culinary ingredient and a pest deterrent is basil. While bees and wasps may not mind the scent of basil in a hearty tomato sauce, we humans do not. Basil enjoys a place that receives 6 to 8 hours each day of direct sunlight since it needs heat to thrive efficiently. To prevent drowning the basil plants and/or inducing root rot, the soil must be well-drained even if it should be kept moist.
Geraniums
Because bees cannot perceive the colour red, geraniums, especially red geraniums, can be useful in deterring bees. Although it may seem odd that a flower would deter bees, these blooms have a fragrance that the stinging insect does not particularly enjoy and contain little to no pollen. Geraniums can be brought indoors to overwinter during the colder months and prefer to receive 4-6 hours of direct sunlight each day.
Wormwood
Absinthe, a component in wormwood that is poisonous to insects, is present. Bees and wasps typically avoid it because of its strong aroma, which warns them of any potential threats. Direct sunlight and well-drained soil are required for wormwood. Wormwood should be planted with caution because it can obliterate nearby plants.
Mint
Although mint has a pleasant aroma in the human world, stinging insects do not appreciate it. Although they may withstand some shade, mint plants need to be carefully monitored. They may easily take over a garden due to their speedy growth.
Eucalyptus
This fragrant shrub is a favourite of koala bears, but not of bees and wasps. You can grow eucalyptus in a garden or in containers. It requires a huge bit of light in any case. The eucalyptus plant can withstand drought, so give it a little time to dry out in between waterings.
Marigolds
Like most of the other plants on our list, the vibrant marigold adds beauty to gardens and deters insects with its pungent scent. It does not necessarily deter honeybees that are looking for nectar, but it does not appeal to wasps. Particularly when planted in the ground, marigolds are incredibly hardy and require little maintenance. Try using red types of plants to deter bees, like you would with geraniums.
Citronella
Citronella is primarily recognised for its ability to repel mosquitoes, but wasps and bees can also find it repulsive due to its overpowering odour. Although it may be grown indoors or outdoors, it prefers at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, whether it’s by a window or in the sun. The soil around the citronella plant should continue to drain well.
Pennyroyal
Bees and wasps absolutely detest pennyroyal because of its mint-like fragrance. Pennyroyal is a fantastic option for pots because it is a very modest plant with a height of 6 to 12 inches. Although this plant is quite simple to manage, it needs to be watered frequently to prevent drying out.
Pitcher Plants
Compared to the other plants on this list, these ones function rather differently. Pitcher plants aid in the control of bees and wasps rather than putting them off. Pitcher plants are predators that capture and consume insects for their own food. Insects are drawn into the flower, where a slick surface leads them to slip and perish in a watery pool.
Because it cannot take tap, bottled, or filtered water, this sort of flower can be challenging to care for because it only tolerates rainwater or distilled water. Because pitcher plants have evolved to get their minerals from the insects they catch rather than from the accumulation of minerals in that type of water, this can be harmful to them. Pitcher plants need full, direct sunlight as well.
When choosing flowers for your yard, try to stay away from blue, violet, and yellow-hued plants as much as you can because these are bees’ favourite colours. These colours will draw bees to flowers in particular. Additionally, trumpet-shaped flowers are a barrier since they naturally make it more challenging for bees to get the nectar.
Are daylilies a bug magnet?
Daylilies are severely harmed by the thrips species known as flower thrips (Frankliniella tritici). Thrips are little, wing-fringed insects having a dark tint. Adults have a length of less than 1/16-inch. Use a 10x magnifying lens to see these tiny, active pests. Thrips are generally found between flower petals and on foliage. Nymphs, an immature insect stage that resembles adults but is smaller, and adults both feed by scraping surface cells to draw plant sap. The bloom may wither away before opening if they eat on the flower buds. Their feeding results in the development of bright silvery stripes or specks on the leaves. When there is a significant infestation, the leaves and flowers may become stunted and deformed, turn brown, and even die.
Sampling: Due to their small size, thrips are challenging to find before damage is apparent. Hold a piece of stiff white paper underneath a few leaves and blooms, then rap the paper with the plant materials to check for thrips on daylilies. Examine the paper in direct sunshine after gently tipping it to remove any garbage fragments. Thrips that are present will scurry across the paper.
Control: A number of thrips-eating natural enemies exist. Insecticides should be avoided as much as possible in order to prevent killing these beneficial insects, which naturally lower thrips numbers. Daylilies can be helped by using blue sticky traps to ward off thrips. Boards made of cardboard or wood can be painted blue and then covered in petroleum jelly. Put them next to the daylilies and affix them to stakes.
Sprays containing spinosad or insecticidal soap should be used if there is significant damage. A foliar systemic insecticide called spinosad can enter unopened blooms and effectively control thrips. Spray in the evening only to minimise the effect on pollinating insects. Read and abide by all warnings and directions on the label before using any pesticide.
Daylilies may experience problems with the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) and other mite species. Although more closely linked to spiders than insects, mites are not insects. Less than 1/50 of an inch long, they are incredibly tiny. They may pierce plant tissue using their piercing mouthparts and draw sap from plants by doing so. During hot, dry weather, mite problems typically increase. Some spider mites build a delicate web over time on leaves to safeguard their eggs and young. Daylily leaves and blooms get little yellowish spots after a minor infestation. This damage frequently remains unrecognised until it is more serious, in part because to the mite’s microscopic size. Heavy infestations cause the speckles to clump together and entire leaves to bleach and eventually die. Growth is stifled in addition to leaf reduction.
Sampling: Spider mites, like thrips, are tiny and difficult to find before harm is apparent. The same method described in the thrips section above should be used to sample for mites on daylilies.
Control: On weeds like chickweed, spider mites overwinter, or survive the winter. An essential stage in the management of spider mites is the removal of surrounding weeds prior to spring growth. If used early in the infection, insecticidal soap spray can effectively manage spider mites. Sprays containing tau-fluvalinate or bifenthrin will control spider mites in more severe infestations. Examples of brands and goods can be found in Table 1. Read and abide by all warnings and instructions on the label before using insecticides.
Different types of aphids can be a pest on daylilies. Soft-bodied insects known as aphids range in colour from yellow-green to nearly black. They often cause more trouble in the spring when it’s chilly. They stick their mouthparts in and suckers plant sap, which they then ingest, to eat leaves and flower buds. As a result of their feeding, flower buds may develop little warty growths and malformed leaves. After consuming plant sap, most aphids emit honeydew, a sweet liquid waste. On the honeydew, a fungus known as sooty mould will develop, causing dark fungal growth on the leaf.
Control: Several naturally occurring pests, including as ladybird beetles and green lacewings, eat aphids (ladybugs). These predators should be let to control aphid populations as much as feasible. Aphids are extremely challenging to eradicate with insecticides due to their extraordinary rate of reproduction. In a short amount of time, a new colony of aphids can form if one survives. Additionally, the beneficial aphid predators may be killed by the application of contact pesticides. Sprays made of insecticidal soap are a less harmful option that can help cut down on aphid populations.
Sprays containing bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, lambda cyhalothrin, or permethrin, on the other hand, will control aphids in more severe infestations. Examples of brands and goods can be found in Table 1.
Slugs and snails can be a concern for daylilies since they nibble on the sensitive new growth in the early spring. As a result of their feeding, leaves develop ragged cuts around the margins and occasionally holes in the centre. They typically leave behind glossy, slimy trails as a sign of their existence. Snails and slugs forage at night and rest in wet places during the day.
Control: Remove the mulch and leaf debris close to the plant’s base to eliminate their daytime hiding spots. Apply iron phosphate-containing snail and slug baits that are suitable for the environment next to the beds. In HGIC 2357, Snails & Slugs in the Home Garden, more details on snail and slug control and the safest baits are provided.
Which flower draws the most bees?
Consider what would happen if every backyard gardener in the country took steps to increase food and habitat for pollinators. For pollinators to live on, we would collectively contribute tens of thousands of acres! The best part is that creating a pollinator-friendly environment is simple and gratifying. This is how:
- Plantings should be varied since different pollinators are active at various times of the year. Include a range of species that bloom from early spring to late fall. Choose plants of different heights, including flowering trees and shrubs, as well as those with a variety of flower forms and sizes, to draw in the complete range of pollinators.
- Plant native plants and wildflowers: Since wild bees and wildflowers co-evolved, you can be fairly sure that native wildflowers will give pollinators a great source of pollen and nectar.
- Make a habitat: Perfectly tidy yards don’t supply the resources needed for wild bees to build their nests. By keeping a small brush pile, patches of dry grass and reeds, and dead wood, you can create an excellent nesting environment. For mason bees, mud will make excellent nesting material.
- The best flowers are solitary: Compared to double flowers, which have extra petals in place of the pollen-containing anthers, single flowers (those with a single ring of petals) offer more nectar and pollen. Bees have a harder time getting to the interior flower sections when the flowers are double. In contrast to double flowers, which are stuffed with petals, single blossoms, shown on the left, offer more food for pollinators.
- Choose flowers in shades of blue, purple, and yellow since bees prefer these hues. The greatest variety of bees will be drawn to flat or shallow blossoms, such as daisies, zinnias, asters, and queen anne’s lace. Nepeta, salvia, oregano, mint, and lavender are among the plants in the mint family that will draw long-tongued bees. Flowers with hidden nectar spurs, such larkspur, monkshood, monarda, columbine, and snapdragons, draw long-tongued bumblebees.
- Avoid using pesticides since many of them, including those that are organic, are dangerous to pollinators like bees. Pests can be managed using cultural methods like crop rotation and row coverings as well as benign ones like traps and hand-picking. In the event that you decide to apply pesticides, do so only as a last resort. Select specific herbicides, like Bt for caterpillars (keep in mind this kills butterfly larvae as well). Pesticides should not be applied on open blooms or when bees or other pollinators are around in order to protect pollinators.
- You don’t need to live in a rural place to raise bees, therefore take into consideration backyard beekeeping. It used to be normal to keep a few beehives in the backyard, and it’s starting to acquire popularity once more. Study more: A Hobby With Sweet Rewards Is Beekeeping
- Get active: National Pollinator Week is sponsored by the Pollinator Partnership, whose website is filled with useful information and activities for kids. There are volunteer possibilities with local gardening clubs, native plant societies, and other environmental organisations. Spread the word about the significance of pollinator numbers dwindling and what people, communities, and institutions can do to help.