If you want an easy way to help your local pollinators, then consider building a water station! Many plants and crops rely on pollinators, so the more you attract and help, the healthier your garden will be (for example: "“Bee pollination improves crop quality, shelf life and commercial value.”)

For a basic one, you will need:

  • Tray or dish
  • Rocks
  • Water

The tray or dish is to hold everything, and the rocks are to give the pollinators something safe to land on. Without the rocks, you will likely end up with drowned bees. Due to evaporation, you may have to fill the dish once or more a day.

HOWEVER, although that is the most common method, there is another one that I prefer that was taught to me by local beekeepers. They use a refilling dog bowl instead of a dish, so it doesn’t have to be filled as often.

(Image Source)

While this was advice from beekeepers, the watering stations are not limited to honeybees; you may see all sorts of native pollinators visiting.

If you can’t buy a refilling bowl, here is a tutorial on how to DIY one.

No matter what you choose, though, the pollinators will appreciate it! I do suggest putting the water in shade to limit possible algae growth.

  • Beacon
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    184 months ago

    How do you prevented from being a mosquito breeding ground?

    • BlairOP
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      234 months ago

      You could use Mosquito Dunks (BTI) which uses a bacteria to kill mosquito larvae, but are safe for fish, pets, and adult insects.

    • @dohpaz42
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      164 months ago

      Those mosquito dunks are only harmful to mosquitoes. So you could put a small piece in the water to kill the larvae.