Ditch The Bird Bath: Attract Bees And Butterflies With This Clever DIY

Most creatures you see in your yard, including butterflies and bees, need to drink plenty of water, just like you do. Unlike you, however, they can't go belly up to the bar (or lemonade stand, as the case may be) to whet their whistles. Pollinators could use a little assistance in that area. Yard-based water features, like a DIY drink station, play an important part in helping them. 

An easy-to-make one consists of a planter saucer filled with decorative rocks, marbles, and mirror tiles. More importantly than its beauty, however, is the fact that those elements give pollinators a safe place to land and drink in your yard that isn't in a DIY bird bath. First, start with a saucer from a planter pot. It shouldn't be too deep. Otherwise, the bugs that visit run the risk of drowning in the drink station. 

The stones, pretty marbles, large shells, mirrored tiles, and other objects you put in the bottom of the dish offer drowning prevention. They give the pollinators a place to land on and to drink from while they're playing on their new yard toy. You'll also need the makings for concrete, including cement, aggregates (like crushed stone or gravel), and sand, and the tools to mix the substance with. The latter includes gloves, goggles, a mixing pan, a bucket for water, and either a hoe or a hand rake to mix the dry materials once they're poured into the pan.

Here are some things to consider as you design this water feature to support the butterflies and bees in your yard. Your concrete mixture can take up to 48 hours to dry. Because of this, the concrete mix will stay wet long enough for you to arrange the rocks, seashells, and marbles to your liking. 

When you're ready to place the decorative items in the saucer, choose ones of differing heights. It's okay if some of them are immersed below the water's surface once you fill the dish with liquid. However, to best serve your insect friends, a good many of the pebbles should peek out over the top of the water and stay dry. Placing a large stick across the lip of the bowl serves the same purpose and creates visual variation. For a bit more variety, consider immersing shallow-growing water plants — also known as aquatic marginals — in the water.

Finally, put the saucer in the yard. If you position it near flowers, you'll have better luck attracting bees and butterflies. Just be sure to empty the bowl and refill it with fresh water every couple of days. Standing water attracts mosquitoes to your yard. If you can introduce moving water to the system, like the drops from a sprinkler, that'll keep the water fresher longer and catch the eye of pollinators who rely on movement to help them find their next drink of water.