Bee Forage Selector.
Bee Forage Selector
Year-round nectar and pollen for pollinators. Filter by region, bloom season, and pollinator type. Build a forage calendar with no gaps.
The forage gap challenge
The best bee yards aren't the ones with one big bloom event — they're the ones with continuous bloom from earliest spring through hard frost.
| Season | Common gap | Plant to fill it |
|---|---|---|
| Earliest spring (Feb-Mar) | Pre-fruit-tree bloom; bees emerge starving | Crocus, snowdrop, witch hazel, willow, red maple, hazelnut |
| Late spring | "June gap" — fruit trees done, summer flowers haven't started | Linden / basswood, locust, clovers, sage, comfrey |
| Mid-summer | Drought-stressed in many regions | Sunflowers, mountain mint, anise hyssop, wild bergamot, cup plant |
| Late summer | Important for winter prep | Goldenrod, asters, sedum, sunflowers, smartweeds, joe-pye weed |
| Fall | Last critical foraging before winter | Asters, goldenrod, wild buckwheat |
Honeybees vs native bees
| Honeybees | Native bees (~4,000 NA species) | |
|---|---|---|
| Foraging distance | Up to 3 miles | Mostly under 0.5 mile |
| Flowers visited per trip | 50-100 (flower-constant) | 1-3 (often specialists) |
| Active in cool weather? | ~50°F+ | Many species: yes (mason bees, bumblebees) |
| Tube/cavity nests | Hive (managed) | ~30% (mason bees, leafcutters) |
| Ground nests | No | ~70% (mining bees, sweat bees) |
| Native plant preference | Generalists | Many specialists; bumblebee on monkshood, etc. |
| Active in poor weather | Less active in rain/wind | Bumblebees fly through both |
Implication: A diverse, native-rich planting supports far more bee species than a monoculture, even of "bee-friendly" non-natives. Both honeybees and natives benefit, but native plants matter most for natives.
Pesticide warning
Neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, dinotefuran, acetamiprid) are systemic — applied to soil or seed, expressed in pollen and nectar. Bees foraging on neonic-treated plants ingest them. Even sublethal doses impair navigation, foraging, and immunity.
Many "bee-friendly" plants from big-box stores have been treated. Buy from sources that explicitly say neonicotinoid-free, or grow from seed.
Free under CC BY 4.0. Cite as "OAT Bee Forage Selector (openagriculturetechnology.com)". Plant data drawn from the Xerces Society pollinator plant lists, USDA NRCS pollinator plantings, and regional extension publications.