A Tiny Dish of Water Could Give Bees a Safer Place to Drink

Have you ever watched a bee move from flower to flower on a hot summer afternoon and wondered where it goes when it needs water?

Probably not.

We tend to think about what bees need to eat—nectar and pollen—but water is important to bees too. During warm weather, honey bees may collect water and carry it back to the colony, where it can help with cooling the hive and other colony needs.

The problem is that a simple source of water isn’t always a safe source of water.

A deep birdbath, swimming pool, fountain, or even a bucket can become dangerous for a tiny insect that lands on the surface and struggles to climb back out.

That’s where one of the easiest garden projects comes in:

a shallow bee watering station with marbles, pebbles, or other textured landing surfaces.

It takes only a few minutes to make, costs very little, and can turn an ordinary corner of your garden into a safer drinking spot for bees and other small pollinators.

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Why Do Bees Need Water?

Bees don’t drink water simply because they’re “thirsty” in exactly the same way humans are.

Water plays several important roles in bee biology and, for honey bees, in colony life.

Water Helps Honey Bees Cool the Hive

During hot weather, honey bees use water as part of their cooling strategy.

Worker bees can collect water and bring it back to the colony. Other bees may spread droplets and fan their wings, helping evaporation remove heat.

This is particularly important when temperatures rise and the colony needs to regulate the conditions inside the hive.

So when you see honey bees repeatedly visiting a water source on a hot day, they’re not necessarily just taking a drink for themselves.

They may be collecting water for the colony.

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Water Is Used Inside the Colony

Water is also involved in several activities within a honey bee colony.

For example, it can be used to dilute stored honey or prepare food for developing bees.

The exact needs of a colony vary with weather, colony size, available forage, and other conditions.

That’s one reason water can become especially attractive to honey bees during hot or dry periods.

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Why Is a Deep Water Source Dangerous?

Here’s something many people don’t realize:

Bees can drown.

A bee landing on smooth water may have difficulty getting enough traction to climb out.

This is why simply putting a bowl of water in the garden isn’t necessarily the best solution.

A bee watering station should give insects places to land while they drink.

That’s where marbles and stones become useful.