Creating a bee-friendly garden means more than just planting flowers. You certainly want to attract them with gorgeous blooms, but while they are in your garden you will want to give them a place to collect water: a pond, fountain, or a bee bath. A bee bath is a simple bee water feeder that is easy to make and care for in your home garden, and it’s a nice touch to set out for your pollinating guests. After all, without those busy workers in the garden, you wouldn’t have as many beautiful blooms or fresh vegetables and fruit to harvest.
Attracting bees to the garden is an important way to keep your garden healthy and productive. You don’t need to have a mason bee house for native bees, or keep honeybees in boxes to invite these fuzzy, striped insects into your yard. Planting bee-friendly plants and creating an attractive habitat for them should be enough to welcome them into your yard.
Why Do Bees Need Water?
Beekeepers know the importance of having water available for bees. They collect water for a variety of reasons:
- to dilute honey – bees use water to manage the consistency of honey and thin out honey that has crystallized,
- to help with digestion – just like us, bees need water to aid in their digestion,
- to keep the hive cool – these smart little creatures will add water to the hive and fan it with their wings, air-conditioning the space by cooling it down,
- and to feed the babies – the nurse bees that feed the larvae need plenty of water to create the right baby food (royal jelly).
In the home garden, a shallow dish or bowl with some rocks in it that sits above clean water is just enough to give bees a drink. The idea is to create a source of fresh water that has places for the bees to perch as they drink and collect water.
Materials
- Shallow dish
- Plant pot
- River stones
- Fresh water
Make it!
Choose a spot in the garden where it is protected and shady. Set a plant pot upside down to use as a base. Set a shallow dish on top of the pot. Choose a dish that is water safe like glass or ceramic, as plastics and metals may leach into the water. Add a few river stones into the dish. Add just enough water that the tops of the stones are not submerged. Change water daily and clean the bee bath weekly.
Here are some more articles you might like:
- Attracting Beneficial Insects
- The Beneficial Insect Super 7: Important Natural Enemies on Patrol in Your Garden
I am not the greatest in the garden so I decided to make it for the bees and butterflies I’m a newbie and I will be making this thank you I never knew they would benefit from a little water too
This looks so cute!
I love this bee bath. My tap water is city water with so many chemicals that I’m thinking I should should probably boil the water first. What do you suggest? Also, you mention cleaning the bee bath once a week. what should I use to clean the bee bath that would not cause harm to the bees? Thanks for your help.
Hi Skippy, I’d suggest that rainwater would be best. Do you have a rain barrel?
Thank you for replying, I appreciate that. I don’t have a rain barrel, but that’s a good idea. I think I can make something to work. Hoping to have a small garden soon, so the rain barrel could do double duty. Thanks for the great idea. Do you have any specific instructions on cleaning the bee bath?
Hi Skippy. Nothing special. I use a gentle, biodegradable dish soap and water. I nail brush is handy for scrubbing off grime too. Congrats on the new garden!
Thanks so much for replying and for the extra help. I’ve been following your blog for a while now, have found some great information, love the garden crafts, too. Thanks so much for sharing. Have a great day.
will this help keep them off the Hummingbird feeders?
Wouldn’t that be good, I have problems with bee’s on the hummingbird feeders too. Received a nice bird bath for Christmas, so I’ll have to see if that helps out.
I just worry about mosquito larvae. Standing water is a mosquito nursery. I will try adding enough to just barely puddle at the bottom. Southern sun should dry up excess. Any other suggestions?
Thanks for sharing
Hi Luz, I wrote in the article that you should change the water for the bees daily. This will also keep it free from hatching mosquitoes. I also have a few articles on mosquitos you can refer to for more information: https://gardentherapy.ca/mosquito-repelling-container/; https://gardentherapy.ca/all-natural-bug-spray-recipe/; https://www.pinterest.com/pin/137359857362275365/