The importance of bee gardens and pollinator patches

Bees are amazing creatures that provide us with a priceless ecosystem service: pollination.

When plants are pollinated, they can then set fruit. It would be a time-intensive task if farmers and gardeners had to hand-pollinate each crop on their own.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations shares that the ecosystem services provided by bees is crucial to our global food system.

Bees and other pollinators give:

• a 35% yield boost to 87 major food crops
• support to 2/3 of global food production
• improved quality of fruits, nuts, and vegetables

This scholarly article highlights just a few of the major food crops that bees pollinate:

• apples
• chocolate
• coffee
• squashes and pumpkins
• berries
• tomatoes

Bees need pollen, nectar, and water:

One way to provide a sanctuary for bees in your backyard is with a bee garden. You can plant flowers and herbs in your garden, and let some of your veggie crops go to seed to provide pollen and nectar sources to bees.

But, you’d be missing one crucial bee necessity if you stopped there: water!

According to UC Davis, pollen and nectar have low moisture content. And bees are just like us: they need to stay hydrated in order to stay healthy.

When you provide water for bees and maintain bee watering stations for them, the same bees will visit your watering station.

You may have heard of how bees communicate with each other about flower sources with their “bee dance butt wiggle.” Well, it turns out that bees also share information about water locations with their friends and family.

Ideal bee watering station features

UC Davis outlines the following features to keep in mind when providing water to bees:

• The watering station needs to be quite shallow, otherwise bees will drown
• It’s helpful if bees have small stones or other natural material to stand on while they drink the water
• It’s preferable if the water isn’t pristine - add in a couple of leaves into the water to provide some organic matter
• Bees like a tiny amount of salt in their water, so add a couple of granules to the water to entice them

Make your own Bee Water Station

Now that you know the preferences bees have for how they source their water, you can easily make your own bee water station for your bee garden.

Materials:

1. Shallow bowl or a plate with a bit of an edge
2. Small stones or other natural materials
3. A couple of leaves
4. A fraction of a pinch of salt
5. Water

Add the stones to the bowl, along with the leaves. Pour water into your bowl, but not too much. You want some of the pebble tops to remain dry.

Add the tiny amount of salt, and place the water for your local bees in a safe spot in your garden.

Make sure your bee water is location that won’t be in the way. Maybe tuck it into an area in a raised bed that won’t be stepped on, or in a quiet corner of the garden without a lot of foot traffic.

Check on your bee watering station frequently. It will require frequent water top-ups during dry summer heat. It will also need to be drained out after rains, so the water level isn’t too high.

Other items that can be repurposed into a bee watering station:

• a frisbee
• lids from large containers
• old measuring cups
• terracotta saucers that come with plant pots
• shallow seed starting bottom trays

Source handmade and non-toxic Bee Water Stations

If you want something that adds beauty to your garden while also supporting artisans, you’re in for a treat. There are lots of beautiful handmade and non-toxic bee watering stations out there.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Bee Watering Station from AntB on Etsy:

This beautiful handmade sculpture looks like the inside of a flower. It has small divots in it to provide water for the bees without risking them drowning.

I messaged the artisan on Etsy and they confirmed that their pottery is lead-free and cadmium-free.

Purchase this bee watering station from AntB on Etsy here.
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Blown Glass Bee Orb Water Collector from Garrabrant Glass

A handbown glass garden ball for bees adds beauty and ecological function to your garden. These glass orbs come in a deep blue, delicate purple, and sea green.

From the maker: “The textured surface will collect water for bees to drink off of.”

I messaged this artisan and they confirmed that their bee water ball is lead-free and cadmium-free.

Purchase this garden ball for bees here
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Ceramic Bee/Butterfly Puddler by Mary Cleos on Etsy

This colorful handmade bee watering station also doubles as a butterfly puddler. The artisan shares that the blue, amber, and pink glazes are all non-toxic and food safe.

This artisan has the same product in different colors, and also offers really pretty small dishes in a rose pattern to provide water to bees.

Purchase this lovely puddler on Etsy
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Thistle Butterfly Puddler by Amaranth Pottery on Uncommon Goods

A butterfly puddler will also double as a water source for bees. I love how pretty the thistles look on this pottery. The thistles mean even more when you know that they are a favorite source of food for bees!

Find this lovely puddler on Uncommon Goods‍

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Learn how to create a pollinator oasis with bee gardening

Before you go, check out our full guide to bee gardening, with detailed lists of nectar plants and pollen plants, in addition to how to ensure a range of bloom times for optimal bee feeding.

The more we can do for the bees, the better off our environment will be...or bee :)

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