They have just arrived, and already they are hard at work! Going to start providing them with some sugar water, in case they don't find many flowers. My neighbor is actually a very evil woman, who uses pesticides in her garden irresponsibly. Actually she isn't even capable of doing that on her own, (she just orders her borderline illiterate servants to do this and that) - Typical Pakistani housewife... However I have noticed that these wild honeybees are very smart. As they instinctively seem to know which flowers to avoid - But just in case they don't find enough flowers, I will be providing them with some sugar water everyday. It's the least that I can do for them. Considering how they pollinate all my plants and vegetables for free.
My neighbor in the next pasture has commercial beehives so we have an abundance of pollinators as well as wild bees ! Here is a tip S-H,, if you want to draw them to your yard just sprinkle some regular all purpose flour on the ground or if you can find it corn flour ! Its like pollen to them ! I tossed some old flour out once and they were on it in a hurry ! They also gather corn dust when I feed the birds ! If you cant find it just whiz regular cornmeal in the blender ! Thats better than the sugar water,, if they gorge on sugar water they will not search for the plants that need pollinating as much ! Sugar water is better in winter here !
Flour technique I have heard before also. Cornflower is easily available too. So is chickpea flour, as well as rice flour. But putting this on the ground will attract ants and rodents too. So I will elevate the bowl, like hang it from a branch of the same tree, (which is what I do with sugar water also). I often give them sugar water, to keep them from going in my neighbor's garden. She really is a most inconsiderate w#&@+, who uses pesticides without even thinking - So to keep the hive from suffering a colony collapse, I give them sugar water. Also, flowers of the 3 giant 40 feet tall Neem trees on this property are more then enough for them. Surprisingly, Neem is a magical tree. As it keeps away all pests naturally. But at the same time, welcomes honeybees too. As well as birds to build a nest in.
