National Pollinator Week Open House June 19

Like to eat? Thank a bee! Join us at the Haven on June 19 to celebrate National Pollinator Week. Our open house will take place from 5:30 to 7:00pm. Visitors will be able to:

• View an observation honey bee hive. Get a glimpse inside the hive to watch the queen lay eggs and the workers tend to the young bees and make honey.

Bee larvae inside the hive

• Observe our many bees "in action" working plants in the garden to collect pollen and nectar. Common bees seen in June include bumble bees, carpenter bees, honey bees, leafcutter bees, and sweat bees.

Yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, at Nepeta 'Walker's Low'.

Female valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, with pollen on passionflower, Passiflora caerulea

A honey bee, Apis mellifera, arrives at California honeysuckle, Lonicera hispidula. See all these plants and bees at the open house.

• Check out our lowest-water use bee plants to get ideas for your own water-wise bee garden.

'Hot Lips' sage. This low-water plant is one of the bee favorites that will be flowering at the open house.

California buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum, is a very low-water plant used by both bees and insect natural enemies. It will also be blooming at the open house.

Mountain mint, Monardella villosa 'Russion River' (front), and Cleveland sage, Salvia clevelandii. Two more examples of great low-water bee plants.

• Taste and buy honey from the Honey and Pollination Center. A portion of the proceeds support bee research at UC Davis.
• Buy native bee houses for your garden. All proceeds support the Haven.
  

  A painted bee nesting tube similar to the ones for sale at the open house