Some kids are naturally drawn to the garden and need little more than an invitation to join us in weed pulling, radish thinning or filling the watering can from the spout on the rain barrel. My own daughter typically does not accept this invitation and tends to stay away from the garden. It’s not that she doesn’t enjoy the garden, she does. It’s that she is terribly afraid of bees.

A healthy garden will have its fair share of pollinators including the most thought of, the bee. Pollinators also include wasps, flies, butterflies, beetles and even bats. This is something most gardeners strive for. Pollinators aid in the reproduction of 90 percent of the earth’s flowering plants. This adds up to a significant amount of food consumed by humans and for this we have pollinators to thank.

My daughter could care less about the importance of bees or anything else that is going to sting, bite or poison her. She is convinced bees set out to sting us, and her in particular. This is obviously ridiculous but even adults have this misconception.

The truth about bees is simple. They sting when they believe they are threatened. Bees, like people, are all different and one might do something another would never consider. The condition of the colony, the temperament of the bee and even the weather can play a role in whether or not a bee will feel threatened by a human and sting.

Only female bees can sting. The male bees have no stinger. They serve little purpose beyond mating with the queen bee. They die after mating and those that are not used for mating are forced to leave the hive before winter. I have been telling my daughter all bees in the garden are male bees. She does not believe me.

As far as a bee is concerned, any plant that provides quality pollen and nectar is attractive. The yard and garden include a smorgasbord that keeps the bees coming back year after year.

Despite what my daughter would like, I want bees in the garden. I do not, however, want them under the siding of my house. I have two colonies this year living under the siding. They are not honeybees so it is doubtful a thoughtful beekeeper would come and extract them for me.

I’m not fond of killing things so the bees will have to stay for the time being. I have not mentioned their existence to my daughter. If they become a menace I will probably have to resort to calling an exterminator.

I would never recommend attempting to remove, extract, spray, insult or kill a bee colony without first consulting a trained professional. When one bee stings it sends out a pheromone that communicates the danger to the members of the rest of the hive and a full on attack can ensue. The pheromone doesn’t actually say there is a crazed human out here with a can of flying insect killer capable of spraying up to 12 feet but it is similar.

I am terribly allergic to bees and avoid situations that would cause them to want to sting me. I enjoy quietly observing them and even get close to them in the garden. They don’t seem to mind me if I am not minding them. The bees in the garden do not live in the garden so they are not threatened by me.

My last run in with bees was years ago when I was digging a trench and accidently got a little too close for their comfort. A hideous amount of swelling took place and my mother was prepared to give me a tracheotomy with a ball point pen. Needless to say, I survived and have been very careful ever since.

The only times my daughter has ever been stung by a bee was due to stepping on them in the yard and garden. She has an issue with rule number three in the garden; always wear shoes.

To read more Avant Gardener, visit Kyle at www.TuscBargainHunter.com.