Habitat assessment by cberry for 6980 Sunset Road Brookings South Dakota,

Assessment results

Answer given	Our advice
Do you have native bunchgrasses?: None.	Increase the amount of bunch grass in your yard. Many bees nest and overwinter at the base of these grasses.
Does your nest block have less than 20 holes?: No	Create a nest block with fewer holes. This will reduce parasitism and make it more likely bees will use it.
Did you clean or replace your nest block in the last two years?: No	Clean your nest block. You can just run a stick in each hole. This will reduce parasitism.
What is the main type of vegetation in the area you are evaluating (park, garden, yard, farm...)?: Mix of native and non-native plants	Increase the amount of native plants in your yard.
How much of the whole yard, park, farm or green space is garden space or wild/natural vegetation?: Not much. Less than 5%.	Add a flower garden to your habitat or let some part of it go wild.
How many flowers in your garden bloom in spring?: 1-3	Add 7 to 9 more kinds of spring flowers.
How many flowers in your garden bloom in fall?: 4-6	Add 3-4 more fall flowers to support fall bees.
How many flowers in your garden bloom in summer?: 4-6	Add 2-3 more types of summer flowers to support summer bees.
Are flowers planted in clumps?: No.	Consider planting flowers in clumps. Bees are more likely to be attracted to larger patches of flowers of the same type.
Is there fresh, clean water always available with a perch that bees could stand on and drink?: No	Consider adding a water element. This can be as simple as a bowl with some rocks thrown in for bees to stand on while drinking.
How many different pollinator counts will your contribute this year?: More than one.	We'd love to see pollinator counts from any of the plants in your garden as many times as you can contribute. Thanks!

Score: 157 (out of a possible 210)

This is an area where I planted 12 lemon queen sunflowers, They have numerous flowers on each plant, hence the count of 83 flowers. In the past, lemon queens have been one big flower head but now seem to be smaller and many flowers. They were in one 3 m sq. area of a flower garden (5 m sq) with several other flowers and tomatoes. Everything grew really well this year.

Which garden or space are you describing?:

6980 Sunset Lake Garden

How large is your yard?:

0.50

acres

Are there areas with bare ground and very few plants?:

Yes

Are there areas with sandy loamy soil?:

Yes

Are there low traffic areas where the soil is not turned over, tilled or plowed?:

Yes

Are there areas dead wood, brush piles or snags present?:

Yes

Are there areas with pithy twigs (elderberry, cane fruit, sumac, etc…)?:

Yes

Are there bee nesting blocks?:

Yes

Is your nest block near a landmark like a rock?:

Yes

How much of the garden is planted with flowering annual or perennial plants (including shrubs, vegetables and trees)?:

Most (more than 75%)

Are the flowering plants that you have pollinator friendly?:

Most (more than 75%)

How much mulch is on the ground?:

None.

Does the garden use herbicides?:

No.

Are pesticides used in the garden?: