03/26/2026
Sorry for just talking at my phone, I didn't have the time and energy to make a fancy video.
Save the stems! But don't just leave them untouched and then cut them back to the ground come May. Bees typically hibernate and nest in 2 year old stems that have had one type of time to dry out, and crucially to break off at some point.
If you want to help create habitat for native bees, you need to be more thoughtful and deliberate in your garden cleanup. The best options:
A) Just leave the stems year entirely. This mimics nature, and in trying to create habitat, mimicking nature is always your best but.
BUT it looks like s**t in a small suburban garden, so...
B) Cut them back in the winter/early spring to 1-2' off the ground. This may allow some bees to nest in them during that spring, and will create hibernation habitat for the next winter. It can also help create a bit of structure and hold up some plants that might think about flopping over on you this year.
C) Cut them back in the autumn to 1-2' off the ground, before the first frost. This has the chance of giving some bees a place to hibernate even in that first winter, and will definitely be ready for nests in the spring. But make sure you don't discard the seed heads if there are remaining seeds. Birds and small mammals are trying to bulk up for the winter (or migration). OR...give them to me.
🐝
