What Is A Bee Bath (& How Can You Add Them To Your Flower Garden)?

Bees and other pollinators are an important part of any garden, so it's worth your time to support the bees in your backyard. There are many ways to bring more bees into your yard and garden by creating an ideal environment — having a wide variety of native plants, avoiding pesticides, and planting milkweed are just a few. But you may be missing the additional step of providing water for your bee population. While some bees get enough hydration from nectar, others rely on drinking water, especially during the hot summer months. Bees even use water to cool down their hives at times. So, if you truly want your garden to be a haven for these wonderful pollinators, it is important to provide for all of their needs. One way to optimize your garden for bees and make sure they get enough water is to add a bee bath. Plus, a bee bath with the right design can be an adorable addition to your garden decor. 

Like a bird bath, bee baths contain water and sit in your garden, giving bees a convenient place to drink water. All you need for a good bee bath is a shallow dish that can contain water and some rocks, sand, or gravel. If you want to make the bee bath extra special, you can add decor to beautify the dish. If you combine all of these elements, you can make your yard a better place for bees to live and work, leaving you not only with a pretty bath feature but also a flourishing garden.

To add an effective bee bath to your flower garden, there are a few elements you should include. First, it is important to take steps to prevent bees from drowning in the bath — it only takes about a quarter of an inch of water for bees to drown. Bees cannot swim, so the water should be shallow and there should be plenty of rocks, sand, gravel, or twigs for the bees to stand on. So, to create a simple bee bath, take a bird bath, plate, bowl, or saucer, and add a thin layer of water. You can even try one of many ways to make a charming DIY bird bath as the foundation, and then add the items needed to make it bee-friendly. If the bath is shallow enough, you can leave it as-is, but you will likely need to add rocks and items for the bees to perch on, especially if the container is deep. Even if you only add a small amount of water, the level can increase after rain.

Your bee bath is also good for other pollinators like butterflies, so you may get to see some of them as well. Unfortunately, there is another type of bug that likes to hang around puddles: the mosquito. There are a few ways to keep mosquitoes out of your bee bath. One option is to change the water every couple of days and clean the bath weekly. You can also try adding a mosquito donut to the water, which is a product that should eliminate mosquito larvae without making the water dangerous for your bees or the bee larvae.

Once you have put together your bee bath, it is time to place it in your yard. A good way to get the bees to notice your bath is to place it near flowers that the bees enjoy. The colors will attract them and get them near enough to sense the water and give it a try if they are interested. If you want to expand your flower selection to create a pollinator oasis, look into colorful flowers that will bring bees into your yard. 

Bees also tend to prefer water that is murky, such as water that contains algae or other additives. A pinch of salt or a tiny bit of lemongrass can help bees locate the water by its scent. You don't have to continue adding salt or lemongrass after the bees become comfortable with finding the bath. Once you have attracted some bees, it is important to make sure the bee bath does not dry out. If the water source is unreliable, then the bees may search elsewhere, and it is difficult to draw them back in once they have abandoned your bee bath.

Bees and other pollinators are an incredibly important part of any successful garden and many ecosystems, so it is essential to keep them around. Adding a bee bath gives them a reliable and safe source of water, which will help them stay in your garden rather than drowning trying to find water in unsafe locations. As an added bonus, you get to add more interest to your garden with a beautiful bird bath turned into a bee bath or an adorable little dish designed for bees.