Bee Watering Stations

by Christine, Chapman Branch

This time of year at my house is gardening season. We plant vegetables and flowers that we hope will attract bees to our plants. Recently I learned that in addition to bee friendly flowers and plants, it is important to include a source of water. Why? Sources of water can be tricky for bees. If it’s a natural source of water birds and other animals can easily prey on them, and other sources of water can be tricky because bees don’t easily swim and can drown. 

Happily, there is a solution to this! A bee watering station! It helps your garden, and your garden’s natural pollinators. Especially these days when we hear talk of bee colonies on the decline.

Bee watering stations are inexpensive and easy to make with items you already have around your house.

You Will Need:

• A shallow dish, it can be as simple as a pie tin
• Water
• Rocks, Marbles, or glass stones
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Place the rocks or marbles inside the dish. I used a pie tin I had around the house. We don’t have many rocks around the yard, so I used some old decorative glass for vases I found around the house and used those.
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Next, pour some water into the tin. The most important thing here is to make sure the water level can’t get high enough over the rocks or marbles that the bees can drown. The purpose of the rocks is to provide more surface for the bees to stand on and get a drink of water. So make sure some of those rocks are not covered by water.

And then find a nice spot in your garden for your bee watering station to live!

Tips:

• Set your bee watering station is a sheltered, shady spot.
• Keep the water fresh, change it daily.
• Wash the dish weekly.
• One tip I found said to make sure the watering station dish is not plastic as that could leach into the water.
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