This may come as a surprise for many, but the truth is that you actually don’t need to save dandelions for the bees! Read on to learn why, and what plants and flowers you should be saving for bees instead.
Do we really need to save dandelions for the bees?
With all of the posts I have on foraging dandelions, dandelion root, and dandelion recipes, I often hear folks saying that I should be saving the dandelions for the bees, especially in early spring.
While I understand the thought behind this, to the surprise of many, dandelions actually do not need to be saved for the bees! Below are six reasons why.
Dandelions are NOT a first food for bees
One of the things I hear the most is that “dandelions are a bees first food.”
This is not true!
There are many other plants that bloom before dandelions in late winter and early spring that are much more important for bees.
Here are some examples:
Dandelions are NOT an ideal food for bees
Dandelions lack vital amino acids and nutrients that bees need. They simply are not a quality food source for bees.
Pollen from trees like willow, maple, and fruit trees is a much higher quality nutrient source.
Another thing to consider is that dandelions are unfortunately often sprayed with weed killer and herbicides, which we all know is not good for bees (or humans) at all!
There are other early spring flowers we can plant for bees
Besides all of the flowering weeds and tree blossoms that bees love, there are also some early spring flowers that we can plant in our yards for the bees!
Calendula flowers and violas come up before dandelions in my backyard, and borage flowers aren’t too far behind. If you’ve ever seen a patch of borage in bloom then you know that bees and other pollinators absolutely love them!
Some other early spring blooms to plant include crocus, hyacinth, and daffodils. Most of all, a variety of flowers for the bees is best!
See my list of 12 common flowers to plant for the bees!
Dandelions are more nutritious for humans than bees
While dandelions are not very nutritious for bees, they are full of nutritional benefits for humans!
Dandelion flowers, leaves, and roots have been an important food and medicine source for humans for centuries. They are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants as well as being good for the liver, digestion, and skin issues.
Make dandelion salve for muscle and joint pain, dandelion root bitters for digestion, or dandelion pesto for vitamins and minerals.
Dandelions are an herbal ally for us in so many ways!
We should not be made to feel guilty for utilizing a plant that has been a part of human history for so long.
As long as we give the bees plenty of other spring flowers that are better suited for them, let us have our dandelions!
Dandelions come back twofold when picked
If you’ve ever picked dandelions, or tried to get rid of them in your yard, then you know that the more you pick the more they come back!
Many flowers, plants, and trees are like this, which is why pruning can often stimulate new growth. The dandelion wants to flower, needs to in order to spread seeds, so will do everything it can to keep flowering.
So, if you are really worried about bees getting their dandelions, you should actually be picking more of them! Think of it as pruning, don’t take every single one, but enough to stimulate more growth.
There are enough dandelions to share
It’s pretty amazing really. There is no shortage of dandelions, and picking them makes them grow and bloom even more.
We get some, the bees get some, and it’s all good!
Just make sure you are leaving a variety of blooming weeds, trees, and flowers for the bees, and they will be happy!
I am NOT in agreement with your statement with regard to Honey Bee’s and Dandelions. As all beekeepers will tell you, conditions are ever changing and the bees forage on what is needed for their colony at a given time. It is a silly statement to make and inaccurate. Your statement assumes that nature is static and predictable year after year. Nature is neither. Here in South Africa Honey Bees forage on dandelions and they do provide both pollen and nectar. Bottom line – all things need to be in balance. Too much of anything is not good. Picking or harvesting all the dandelions when insects are out foraging is not practicing mindful co-existence. Leaving all the dandelions untouched when clearly they provide wonderful alternative uses for humans is also not necessary.
Respect for all creatures and finding a balance is the answer. Bees forage or Dandelions and depending on the conditions it can indeed be their first choice of spring food. True story!!
Hi Natasha, I hear what you are saying, but the point is that dandelions are often not the first or only food for bees. They are also not very nutritious for bees. It’s better to plant and leave a variety of early spring flowers for the bees. Here in the US, people have been so focused on “saving the dandelions for the bees” that they are forgetting about all the other flowers! And I never recommend to pick all of the dandelions, but I do think there are enough to share.
The article seems to make sense but the author apparently thinks that conditions where she’s at are the conditions everywhere else. Not so. Dandelions here in central Alaska are very important in early spring. Prior to their blooming in mid-May there is only willow producing any pollen. Other plants are either not blooming, or not even out of the ground. This spring I spotted the first dandelion blossoms May 15th, and saw the first loads of pollen coming in to the hives yesterday the 17th. Granted, it may not be the finest source at this time of year, but its what we’ve got.
I have bees and I pick my flowers at the end of they day – they get their dandelions during the day and I grab them in the late afternoon/early evening. They only last a day so it is a win-win for both of us – and their is a whole new batch in the morning!