Well, ARE bees colorblind? Yes and no.

Bees, more than any other life force on earth, get up close and very personal with nectar-producing flowering plants and trees. It makes you wonder: can bees see color or are they colorblind?

Knowing what colors bees can see has informed gardeners, beekeepers and planners for decades. You’ll be surprised to learn what colors bees can see...and which ones they cannot.

• We see red...bees see black.

• We see orange...bees see yellowish-green.

• We see yellow...bees see yellow-green again.

• We see green...bees see GREEN!

• We see blue...bees see ultraviolet blue(!).

• We see purple...bees see blue.

• We see white...bees see bluish-green.

• We see black...bees see black.

As it turns out, bees are way cooler than we thought. They see in the world of ultraviolet. There is some discussion among scientists about the exactitude of the colors bees see and how those colors register and are organized in the bee brain. But one particular color that translates differently for bees and is fairly universally known by scientists is: red for bees, is black. Bees cannot see red!

COLORFUL HIVES ARE A MUST

In terms of how a bee’s sight can affect an entire hive, the colors of their human-made homes can make a huge difference. We’ve all heard about hive collapse. One of the reasons for a loss of an entire swarm of bees is the newly hatched virgin queen going out to mate and returning to the wrong hive. If she enters the wrong hive upon her return, she will be promptly killed and the colony is a total loss.

Painting hives in multi-colored hues can solve this problem! In fact, even alternating the colors of bee boxes that make up a beehive can literally save the queen’s life. The queen can also be killed by returning to the bee yard and not being able to find the exact box she emerged from. Sometimes the queen’s flight to her mate could be miles away from an apiary. If she returns and enters the wrong painted hive box, she will be immediately killed by either the worker bees of that hive or the queen bee of that hive. It is possible that the confused queen could kill the other queen but that confused intruder queen would then be killed by the workers. It’s really a no-win.

A simple and beautiful way to ensure queens return to their correct hive is by alternating the bright color of your beehive boxes, if you’re a beekeeper. And now that you know which colors bees see (and don’t see!) you’re set to save the bees.

COLOR YOUR GARDEN

Now that we know what types of colors bees can see, you can begin planting your gardens from a bees-eye-view. Here are some perennial flower suggestions to entice those fine little pollinators to your garden:

• So that bees can see yellowish green...plant these orange flowers:

• Tiger lilies

• Marigolds

• Blackeyed Susans

• Craspedia

• California poppies

• So that bees can see green...plant these green flowers:

• Green zinnia

• Green chrysanthemum

• So that bees can see ultraviolet blue...plant these blue flowers:

  • Phlox

  • Purple iris

  • Lupine

  • Aster

• So that bees can see bluish-green...plant these white flowers:

  • Trillium

  • Lamium

  • Saxifraga

  • Vinca

Planting with bees in mind is a fun new challenge for any gardener: novice and veteran alike. To orient a space that is created with the master pollinators in mind is to connect deeply with the earth in a new and profound way. Might we say: with new eyes.