planting for bees, and the deer

[Fl_Beak]

We are starting a new bee yard, and it's got some open fields, I was considering planting some wildflowers. There are a number of deer, and thinning the population out isn't an option...

If I plant do the deer tend to eat wildflowers? Any types they leave alone?

[Mbeck]

http://www.messinawildlife.com/plots...tection-system

The product in the above link works.

Of course I'm available to try and reason with them in a natural, low impact and traditional way!

[brooksbeefarm]

I plant buckwheat for food plots, the bees and deer love it. I can usually get 3 blooms with one planting. Jack

[Joseph Clemens]

How about, Sainfoin?

[BTKS]

I have recently planted both Durana and Patriot white clover on the pastures around my hives. Both are considered excellent forage for livestock and wildlife / deer. I have also incorporated yellow sweet clover to the lower pressure / hard to mow areas of the road banks and ditch banks. The white clover was started last year but the drought cut the season short. Started out real well but nothing was common about last year so it's hard to judge how well it will comback this year. The white varieties are supposed to be long term perinneals but the yellow is a biennial with good volunteer regrowth if it is allowed to go to seed. That is why I limited it to low pressure areas. I'm not sure I will see any blooms from it this year but next year I should get blooms about two weeks before the white clover starts producing.
Mine is an on-going experiment and no real results have been observed yet. Take this with a grain of salt. My references, university extension papers and seed personnel, and initial observations are good.
Hope this made sense and is of some help.
BTKS

[jmgi]

There are very few wildflowers that deer won't eat, I know because we have a large deer population around our house and its a constant battle to find flowers that they won't devour. I plant lots of stuff for our bees and for our viewing pleasure, and the deer won't touch them. Try butterfly weed, milkweed, russian sage(a small bush), blanket flower, borage, catmint. If I can think of anymore I will add to the list. All these plants I mentioned are good nectar producing plants. John