Friends of Bees was founded in 2014 to educate about and advocate for native bees, Monarch butterflies, and other pollinators. In 2024, we are meeting on the second Thursday of the month with Watertown Pollinator Pathways. Visit us on Facebook, or click here to email us.
We are members of Mystic-Charles Pollinator Pathways, and the Massachusetts Pollinator Network. Since 2021, we have worked with Watertown DPW and Watertown Community Gardens Pollinator Pathways to plant public pollinator gardens in Watertown. We also partner with WCG to present the Life-Friendly Garden Tour. We support the City of Watertown’s Mayor’s Monarch Pledge. We are also working toward seeing Watertown become a Bee City.
Pollinators and Climate Sustainability
So much of what Watertown is doing to build climate resiliency centers on expanding green spaces. For that greenery to thrive, plants need pollinators. Pollinators need pesticide-free habitat, with plants native to their region, and plenty of spaces to make their homes.
For an introduction to the bees living in Watertown, see “Who Is Visiting My Flowers?” here.
For more information on to expand pollinator habitat, see our Recommendations for a Pollinator Garden here.
For more information on to make your home and garden pesticide-free, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers a fact sheet here.
Make your garden more bee-friendly
If you wish to help bees, the first thing you can do is to not use pesticides. The pesticides we are most concerned about are neonicotinoids.
Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides that are systemic, persistent nerve agents. Systemic means that an application is absorbed into all tissues of the plant, including nectar and pollen. Persistent means that a single application of neonics remains deadly for months to years. These nerve agents attack the nervous system of all insects, with effects ranging from sensory disruption to death. The widespread presence of neonics in the environment and their ability to travel into nectar and pollen makes them pose a particular threat to pollinators.
Click here for a list of plant sales and other places where can you buy bee-friendly plants that have not been treated with neonics.
The next thing you can do is to plant a pollinator garden. Pollinators need native flowers that will support a variety of native bees. Pollinators also need habitat to nest in: some bees need undisturbed ground, others need stems and crevices. Thus, in fall let the fallen leaves stay on the ground. In spring cut standing stems to one to two foot lengths.
Click here for more recommendations for a pollinator garden.
Support Watertown becoming more bee-friendly
In 2023, the City of Watertown signed the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge. Watertown pledges to educate about Monarch butterflies, plant milkweeds for the caterpillars, plant nectar plants for the butterflies, and reduce the use of pesticides. All these measures benefit bees. Friends of Bees would like Watertown to next join Bee City USA. Bee City asks communities to reduce pesticides, increase habitat, hold events, and educate the public about native bees and other pollinators. Watertown DPW has a no pesticide use policy on public land. The DPW also partners with Watertown Pollinator Pathways to increase habitat with public pollinator gardens. Pollinators are a part of the Resilient Watertown Climate and Energy Plan. Friends of Bees hold events and educate. We hope Watertown will make a formal commitment to keep going.
Let your City Councilors know you support Bee City. Contact information for the City Councilors is listed here.
Ask our elected representatives to support bee-friendly legislation
There is also legislation on the state and federal levels that Friends of Bees support. The best way to keep up to date is to visit the Massachusetts Pollinator Network. Here are some ways you can help now.
Massachusetts has made some progress in reducing pesticide use. Starting in 2014, House Representative Carolyn C. Dykkema introduced An Act to Protect Massachusetts Pollinators every year. This bill would restrict the use of neonicotinoid insecticides and take other steps to protect pollinators. Our State Senator Will Brownsberger and former House Representative Jonathan Hecht were also co-sponsors. Despite numerous public hearings and overwhelming evidence of the risk posed to the environment by neonics, this bill never became law. In early 2021, advocates turned our attentions to the Pesticide Board Subcommittee. On March 1, the board passed a motion to reclassify neonics from general use to restricted use. This means starting July 1, 2022 products containing neonics are no longer available to the general public. NOFA/Mass has more details here. We applaud the tireless efforts of advocates and elected representatives and look forward to continuing to improve the environment for pollinators.