[Working Drone]

We're putting up a fence for an inground pool and want to plant the inside/poolside base with perrenials that will either not interest bees, or actually repell them.

I've done a search on the subject and have come up with sites for people who are allergic to bees that suggest: ornamental grasses; long tubular flowers; red flowers (except bee balm); and feverfew.

A search on this site came up with similar results, but I'll be grateful if anyone here can give me more suggestions.

Thanks

P.S. We're in zone 5, -20 F.

 

[concrete-bees]

plastic seems to be the only flowers that any bee will not like

also --- wasp need water to build there nests - they will be more of a problem then honeybees -- having said that honeybees will need water also - they will most likely be attracted to your pool and not your flowers

back to flowers --- all plants that have flowers - have flowers to attract insects - so if you plant any flower you will attract one form or another of bee, wasp, fly, and butterflies

hope this helps

 

[Dave Burrup]

Concrete I do not want to step on your toes, but some flowers are wind pollinated and have very little interest for insects. The Shasta Daisys we have do not attract bees. Generalizations are dangerous, but the composites as a group are less interesting to bees. Of course the exceptions are many. Asters and Echinacea are very attractive to bees. I rarely see bees on Forsythia, Dianthus, Iris attract Bumble Bees but not honey bees, they will avoid Daffodils if they have something else to go to, the spreading Campanula we have does not attract bees, many of the hybrid tea and floribunda roses do not atract bees, Peonies and Bleedinghearts do not attract bees. Hope this helps.

 

[Working Drone]

Thanks for the suggestions, we'll check into all of them.

We're surrounded by pasture, pond, and swamp. Maybe we can minimize bee foraging in the pool area.

Thanks again.

 

[RayMarler]

Oleanders. I've only seen a bee on Oleanders once, and it was not on the bloom. I believe I've heard that Oleanders are poisonous. I think it was just resting (the bee). That said, plants that would repel bees are a little different than plants that bees don't go to. I don't know of any plants that will actually repel bees, but then, sometimes I don't know very much! Oh, and come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen any bugs on Oleanders, not that I can recall. I've got beehives within 6 feet of Oleander now, and there is never a bee on the plants.

 

[casper_zip]

Oleanders are beautiful and poisionous. I have them here, but all family members just look, but don't touch. I have bee hives very close to them, but never seen a bee on the beautiful flowers.

I'm overrun with deer, they eat all my fruit and everything they can, but they will not touch the oleanders.

My bees are fixing to really work, we have a huge field of watermelons blooming here, have been blessed with lots of flowers, more coming on in the yard and surrounding area.

Casper_zip