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Do Begonia Attract Bees? (Quick Answers)

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The flower is a symbol of many things, including beauty, purity, respect, and love. We all value and appreciate nature’s beauty, yet we often overlook the necessity of pollinators such as bees.

Instead of celebrating the existence of an insect that pollinates 75% of the world’s flowers and nearly 34% of the corps, we appear to be making it difficult for them to survive.

Instead of planting bee-repellent trees, planting some flowers may be worth the effort.  Let’s find out more.

Do begonia attract bees?

Begonia, a well-known tropical flower, is most favored for its astonishingly vibrant color and indoor & outdoor adaptability. Being bright and lovely may be the only good thing about begonia as it doesn’t contain a single drop of nectar. In simple words, bees aren’t attracted towards begonia.

Unlike humans, most birds, mammals, and insects don’t have the privilege to roam around and try new things. Every decision they make has consequences.

Eating the wrong plant, sleeping in the open, flying an extra distance all could prove to be fatal.

For bees, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to fly around and look for food, after leaving the hive, if they don’t find any nourishment then they may not make it back.

Not only that, worker bees have to carry pollen and nectar back to their hive for the whole colony. So finding a good source of nourishment is essential. Begonias may have vibrant petals and have a decent smell but it doesn’t have anything useful for bees.

Being monoecious dicots, begonias don’t have the biological mechanism to produce any nectar nor does it participate in the regular pollination process. So bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other nectar-loving animals won’t get attracted towards begonia.

If a swarm of bees has misjudged and gone after the begonias then they are sure to pass on their experience to the other members of their hive.

It is really fascinating how bees can communicate, do an excellent job in pattern recognition, and more, all of these will lead to finding the most efficient food sources.

If you are thinking about maintaining a bee farm then avoid planting begonias, plants like lavender, rosemary, and sunflower will be just perfect for attracting bees.

Do honey bees like begonias?

Honey bees aren’t that much attracted towards begonias. Bees use their sight and sense of smell to find potential food sources and most of the time the begonia doesn’t fit in.

Begonias do have pretty bright and colorful petals and contain a rosy citrus smell; both of these aspects of begonias are particularly appealing to honey bees, but because of their highly evolved capacity for pattern recognition, they can identify whether or not a flower contains nectar.

So most honey bees will avoid begonias as it doesn’t have any pollen and nectar.

Are begonias good for bees?

Considering the overall aspects, begonias aren’t good for bees. To make honey and wax, bees utilize the nectar and pollen collected primarily from flowers.

Both the nectar and pollen are essential for the bees to survive, flourish as a colony, and more, thus when determining whether a plant or flower is good or harmful, the amount of nectar and pollen it can offer is the first consideration.

Begonias with a sweet citrus aroma are incredibly beautiful to look at, but appearances may be misleading. Begonias don’t have a drop of nectar in them nor are they a pollinator.

So going after begonia is a futile effort from the bees’ perspective. The bright color and fragrance of begonias may deceive many insects but they will lose a significant amount of energy and time going after the wrong plant.

Why blooming begonias are bad for bees?

As they do not attract the bees, the bees do not tend to go around them. But why they are considered bad?

Nothing to give:

If you are taking care of a bee farm or just trying to do something good for nature then begonias might not be the right plant for you.

Begonias are only good for enhancing the aesthetics of your surroundings and nothing more.

The begonias don’t contain any nectar nor does it hold any pollen, so it doesn’t have the potential to perform anything significant to the betterment of the ecosystem. In short, begonia is just an eye candy, it has nothing to give.

Deceiving:

For a minute, suppose you’re trekking across the Saharan desert, your food and water supplies are nearly depleted, you’re hungry and parched, and you see a water source with greenery in the distance.

You arrive and discover that the water is too salty, the greeneries aren’t edible, and you’re nearly out of energy in your search for nourishment.

Consider how difficult it will be for bees or any other insect to be enticed by the beautiful petal and light rose citrus-aroma of the begonia and use the bulk of their energy to approach there and receive nothing in return.

Their survival effort has failed, and after wasting so much time and energy on begonia, they may not have the stamina to return to their hive or flee from predators.

In conclusion, the deceiving looks and smell of begonias may lead a swarm of bees to their doom.

Toxic:

Begonias have a number of negative characteristics, the most serious of which is that they are poisonous. Begonia roots and branches contain poisonous compounds that keep herbivorous animals at bay. 

When it comes to tiny insects like bees, even a trace of toxicity can disrupt their sensory receptors and other bodily functions. So considering all the aspects you can say that begonias will do more harm than good for bees.

Are begonias pollinators? Do begonia flowers have nectar?

Pollinators, it’s a term used for insects, birds, and mammals who help in the fertilization process by connecting the anther (found in male flowers) to the stigma (female parts) of another flower.

Begonias don’t need any outside help from any pollinators for their fertilization process. In begonias, every plant will have both male and female flowers, so it doesn’t participate in the traditional pollination method.

Having such characteristics made them earn the unique name of monoecious dicots.

Now about the nectar, the begonia flowers don’t possess any. In most flowers, the nectarine gland is responsible for producing the sweet nutritionally rich liquid.

The mixture of sucrose, fructose, and glucose makes the nectar a perfect treat for insects and animals.

Most flowers use it to their own advantage and spread their pollen through the animals.

So the fertilization process of a flower is greatly dependent on having nectar and attracting pollinators, but begonias don’t participate in the traditional pollination method so it doesn’t have any use for nectar.

What are the best plant for bees?

As begonias are not appropriate for the bees, which flowers are? Let’s find out.

Lavender:

a well-known plant throughout the world with delicate purple flowers. It has several medical benefits and plays an important role in maintaining a diverse ecosystem.

Lavender mostly blooms in spring to early summer and the flowers have plenty of nectar and pollen to attract bees.

Daffodils:

Although there are a bunch of different colored daffodils found in nature, bright yellow and white colors are the most common. These flowers bloom around mid-spring.

The bowl-shaped daffodil flowers are perfect for bees to collect nectar and pollen. It’s a shame that nowadays most biological modified daffodils are losing their pollen count.

It may be viable for commercial purposes but it’s ain’t good news for nature. Planting wild daffodils may be the best thing to do for now.

Sunflower:

From children’s books to gardening manuals, you are sure to find a picture or description of a bee with sunflowers.

Thanks to the enormous and unique shape and size, the quantity of pollen and nectar concentration makes it the obvious choice for bees.

Bees will prefer sunflowers over other flowers because it’s easy for them to collect pollen, rest and at the same time be aware of the surroundings and sometimes camouflage themselves in sunflowers.

This flower fully blooms in the summertime and planting a bunch of sunflowers is sure to attract a lot of bees.

Cosmos:

This flower is a summertime bloomer. The majestic purple shade does make the cosmos flower stand out from the rest. Open petals and easy access to the pollen make it ideal for bees.

Daisies:

the symbol of purity and innocence, daisies have more than a few good things going on for them. The petals are bright white, and a large amount of pollen is sure to attract bees, butterflies, and lots of other animals.

Final Thoughts

The nectar of flowers is the principal source of nourishment for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and many others. Most flowers with qualities such as colorful petals and pleasant aroma generally contain nectar, but begonias are an exception. As a result, bees aren’t drawn to begonia.

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