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.
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.
That one photo isn’t mine (image source link is below it) but I added it because it was exactly what I was talking about. That example would have been in the area of honeybee boxes(those are all honeybees), though they can travel around 1-6km from the hive. They will drink water for themselves, but also bring water back to the bee boxes for the other bees.
Random fact, though, don’t be scared if this happens to you. Honeybees gathering water are not aggressive and will die if they sting you, so they will only sting if they see it as a last resort. For example, here are some photos of a honeybee I rescued from drowning. After she dried off, she flew away.
She is so cute. Bees are pretty much harmless. No need to be scarred as long as your not allergic. Bublebee are even friendlier, if you are gentle enough, you could even pet some!
I haven’t tried petting a bumblebee, but I believe you! They are the gentle giants of the bee world
I’ve tried and I’ve failed without getting attack by anyway. They just flew to the next flower. But I’ve seen it done. One juste need to be extra slow and gentle.