LIKE MANY CHILDREN, I feared bees, wasps, and other stingy things. A nasty encounter with ground-dwelling bees, while climbing a rocky slope during my university days, didn't help. It took me 45 minutes to scramble up to where I stepped on the nest, but mere seconds to get down again, shucking bee-filled clothes all the way. Things changed when I began trying to photograph these amazing insects. Viewing them close up, I became engrossed in their activities. After watching them pack their pollen baskets, I scurried to the library to learn the whys and wherefores of bee life. I had mistakenly divided the insects visiting my flowers into categories: bees, wasps, butterflies and moths. In reality, many kinds of insects pay their calls, each preferring different flowers and different times of day. About 2,000 bee species buzz around in Canada, including carpenter bees, leafcutter bees, mason bees, and those fuzzy embodiments of our apian ideal, bumblebees (pictured above). As pollinators, bees play a crucial role in plant propagation. When you watch bees bustling about your yard, consider how much rests on those fragile, whirring wings. Agriculture Canada estimates that bees are worth $1 billion annually to the economy, thanks to the fruit, vegetable and seed crops their activities produce. Without the assistance of bees, you would shop in vain for apples, plums, pears, blueberries and many other natural treats. Unfortunately, bees and other pollinators are under duress. Habitat loss, pesticide use, disease, parasites, and competition from introduced species are disrupting native bee populations. Offering bees a safe, inviting habitat in our yards and gardens helps preserve a vital resource and provides great opportunities to observe these fascinating creatures. As an added bonus for gardeners, abundant pollinators mean better fruit set and bigger crops. How can you "bee prepared?" Unlike imported honeybees, whose hives are provided, native bees may have difficulties finding homes. The Canadian Wildlife Federation suggests making bee bungalows. Using scrap lumber three to five inches thick, drill holes a quarter-inch in diameter, about 90 percent of the way through the wood. Space the holes 1/2 inch to one inch apart. In early spring, hang the bungalows in dry, shady spots, such as under the eaves of a shed. Provide shelter for smaller bees by hanging a bundle of drinking straws in a tree. In autumn, leave some coarse grass or leaf litter for bees and other friendly insects, including ladybugs, to overwinter. To attract bees during spring and summer, offer them a selection of flowering plants, especially native species. The continuous supply of pollen and nectar will encourage various pollinators. Chokecherries, hyacinths, and other early-blooming shrubs and flowers provide food when other sources may be scarce. Many of the same plants loved by butterflies, including marigolds, asters, sunflowers and sedums, also attract bees. The big clump of bee balm in my garden sometimes resembles a busy airport with bees, butterflies and hummingbirds coming and going from the sweet smelling blossoms. Many flowers that we think of as old-fashioned (columbines, hollyhocks, sweet peas, cornflowers, foxgloves) are also good bee plants. Once bees are around, keep the neighbourhood pesticide-free. This can be difficult when thrips or aphids stage an invasion, but the chemicals kill all insects, as well as spiders and other beneficial invertebrates. I wish you a bloom-filled, fragrant summer, set to the timeless music of the birds and the bees. - REBECCA L. GRAMBO