Bee Water Marbles

The rough sides are just right for getting down to the water without falling in.

Bee water marbles.

After all without those busy workers in the garden you wouldn t have as many beautiful blooms or fresh vegetables and fruit to harvest. One solution to this problem is to add marbles or pebbles to a bowl or pan and then add water. They get this water from places like bird baths rivers and streams and open pools of water but they risk drowning. The marbles give the bees a spot to land so they don t drown when they come to drink.

Bees know exactly where to return for the same water source. You can help give them an easier place to safely drink by as this post suggests placing marbles inside of a shallow bath of water. It is my understanding that honey bees detect water sources by smell rather than by sight. I ve seen only 1 dead bee in the water after 4 months or so since we change the water every couple days there.

Equally good is a bucket of water with plenty of bee rafts these can be corks sticks sponges or packing peanuts anything that floats. They also may like water with algae and floaters for the same reason. Bees work hard this time of year and need available sources of water to rehydrate. In fact some think that is why they are attracted to pools because they can smell the chlorine and or salt.

Building a bee waterer. A saucer filled with marbles or stones makes an excellent diy watering station for bees. As for river and lakes bees risk their lives trying to get water in the presence of fishes frogs and other wildlife not to mention the risk of being swept away in water currents. The honeybees drink from the rubber chicken water bowls.

The marbles give the bees a spot to land without drowning. Building a bee waterer to water honeybees pour marbles into a pie pan and fill it with water. So my guess is that clear marbles wouldn t make much difference. Add some small rocks or marbles to fill the bottom and put some flat stones or similar objects to provide a platform where they can sit or stand while they take a drink.

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. Once bees discover the source of water they ll visit throughout the day but prime bee watching occurs just before sundown as bees take their last drink before returning to the hive for the night. Finally i discovered another water option when we added a bee hive to our garden this year.