A bee visits about 2,000 flowers on an average day; imagine how thirsty they get on a hot day! They work very hard pollinating our vegetables and flowers. It’s not always easy for them to find a clean, shallow water source to drink from.
Fresh, clean water keeps the bees hydrated, helps to cool them during warm weather, and is used to dissolve crystalized honey when producing larval food. Providing a bee watering station near your flowers and vegetables is easy!
Supplies
- A clean, shallow basin such as a saucer or other dish.
- Marbles or small rocks
- Fresh water
Directions
- First, fill shallow basin with rocks or marbles, spreading material evenly to avoid deeper sections of water. Bees can drown in water that is too deep.
- Next, fill container with fresh water.
- Place the bee water-garden near varieties that attract bees, including bachelor’s buttons, bee balm, calendula, cosmos, echinacea, hyssop, larkspur, milkweed, morning glories, poppies, rudbeckia, salvia, sunflowers, and zinnias.
- Keep your bee-water garden out of direct sun. Clean and refill often.
We’d love to see how creative you get with your bee water-garden. Hashtag your creations with #botanicalinterests.
