You're probably already providing a bird bath for your feathered friends, but did you know you can provide water for bees, too? Here's how.
Should You Provide Drinking Water for Bees?
Updated on Jun. 28, 2024
Bees aren’t looking for just nectar and pollen. “Honeybees need water, not just for honey production, but also to maintain a good temperature within the colony,” says Alyssa Piccolomini, entomologist for the Montana Department of Agriculture.
This holds true for native bees as well, particularly in regions that go weeks, if not months, without precipitation. Creating wet areas in the garden provides a source of mud, which some bees require to create their nest cells. Setting up a bee bath in your yard to provide water for bees is another way to support an ideal environment for the pollinators that are so important to our gardens.
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When to Provide Water for Bees
“In terms of honeybees, they won’t start foraging until it’s 55 degrees or warmer. They are the wimpy ones of the bee world,” Alyssa says. “Bumblebees and smaller solitary bees will be out before them.”
In regions where the spring season typically starts off with ample rain showers, it’s not critical to immediately create a water source because the bees find moisture on plants and in puddles. For other parts of the country, set up the bee bath as soon as they are out flying to let them know where to go for water instead of visiting the neighbor’s outside pet water bowl or swimming pool.
Once the water source is established, Alyssa says, “Honeybees usually waggle dance to communicate to other worker bees for all colony resources,” such as finding water.
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What Makes a Good Bee Bath
Remember these two important points when setting up a bee bath: Try to prevent the bees from drowning and keep water available consistently. “They’re not super picky,” Alyssa says. “My personal favorites are drip hoses.” Besides landing directly on the seeping hose for a drink, she points out that oftentimes little pools of water form next to it, making moisture available even when the hose is off.
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Besides hummingbirds, bees also utilize colorful sugar-water feeders. Even if you don’t have hummingbirds in your garden, offer a hummingbird feeder without sugar to the bees. Either suspend it or set it on the ground. Although the bees could use the sugar, the sweet stuff often draws ants and other undesirable visitors.
How to Make a Bee Bath
To make your own bee bath, one of the easiest options is a shallow dish with small pebbles or marbles in it to provide a place for the bees to stand without falling into the water. Alyssa also notes that bird baths are another common watering hole for bees, as they can stand along the edge or on a makeshift platform within the water.
Alyssa cautions to be diligent about keeping them filled, especially since the water evaporates quickly on hot, dry days. “Once it’s dry, the bees are going to go to a different source, such as the neighbor’s swimming pool,” she says. “They need a lot of water in the summer.”
For a system that doesn’t require daily refilling, consider a self-filling pet bowl or poultry waterer. Add stones that are slightly higher than the water level to keep the bees safe. Whether it is homemade or purchased at the store, a bee bath is important in a pollinator-friendly landscape.
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Water for a Beehive Air Conditioner
The ideal temperature for a honeybee colony is 93 degrees, so when summer temperatures creep into the 90 degree range, honeybees create their own air conditioning. Workers deposit droplets of water throughout the hive, then fan their wings to draw the heat out of the air, similar to using a swamp cooler.
Offer an Alternative to the Bird Bath
“Our neighbor raises honeybees. Every summer bees take over our bird bath, and the birds won’t use it. The bees prefer our bath to the neighbor’s water. How can we discourage the bees from drinking from our bath? ask readers Myra and Gene Hall of Hiram, Georgia.
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “Honeybees tend to be creatures of habit, going back repeatedly to a reliable source of nectar or water. To get them to break this habit, we suggest that you drain the bird bath and dry it out completely. Then, closer to your neighbor’s yard, put out an alternative water source.
A tray filled with gravel, with just enough water to reach the top of the gravel, will provide an easy landing place for the bees. Once they’re in the habit of visiting the new source, you can refill your bird bath and the bees shouldn’t mob it.”
About the Expert
Alyssa Piccolomini is the state entomologist for the Montana Department of Agriculture. She holds a master’s degree in entomology from Montana State University – Bozeman.
Sources
- UC Davis’ The Bee Gardener, “Bees Need Water: Establish Water Sources in Late Winter to Keep Them Out of the Pool in Summer“
- Colorado State University Extension, “Attracting Native Bees to Your Landscape”
- University of Arkansas Agriculture: Research & Extension, “Help a Bee to Wet Her Whistle“
