Making a DIY bee water feeder is an easy and cost-effective DIY project, taking less than $15 to complete. Simply find a shallow bucket or container (planter saucers work great!) and fill it with floating materials such as marbles, rocks or corks – any material which floats should do fine!
Pebbles are ideal for beehives because their rough surfaces allow bees to grasp onto them more readily.
Contents
Vessels
Bee water feeders can be constructed out of various materials. One popular choice is a clear glass jar with a tightly fitting lid; glass works better than plastic because its transparency makes it easier for bees to detect how much sugar water has been added; adding a block of wood underneath helps prevent it from tipping over. Another possibility is filling a wooden bowl with pebbles or smaller river stones (paintable if desired), creating an activity for children while pebbles feature rough surfaces that help bees stick onto them more securely; pebbles may even help bees stick onto them more securely!
Materials
Some bee waterers can be as straightforward as placing a bowl atop a clean water source such as a lake or pond; alternatively, filling a small dish with rocks or pebbles works just as effectively. Other homemade bee waterers involve more intricate projects; for instance a clay pot fitted with a saucer provides an attractive bee water station.
Similar to how hummingbird feeders can be converted into bee waterers, hummingbird feeders can also be converted into bee waterers by placing the container large enough to prevent drowning of bees in its container and placing the feeder on a stable surface so as to not tip over.
Some beekeepers add a teaspoon of chlorine bleach to the water supply in order to decrease the chances of sick colonies drawing in other bees in an uncontrolled robbing frenzy, leading to bee deaths. Before placing it outside, beekeepers should make sure it has been scrubbed thoroughly using a cleaning brush before attaching Elmer’s Washable glue or gorilla glue as these glues work great for creating bee waterers.
Floating objects
One easy and fun way to provide water for bees is with a shallow dish like a saucer. Making one is an enjoyable craft project for children and makes an excellent present for your bee-loving friends! Plus, this kind of feeder offers several advantages: small size, no drippage issues and rapid refill time; plus bees won’t drown and opening the bowl doesn’t cause them to scatter immediately!
Bees need somewhere safe to land when accessing water sources safely, which means adding rocks, pebbles, marbles, sticks or corks as part of your watering station is crucial to providing them with access. Because bees cannot swim they require something to land on in order to access it safely. These objects also make the water more appealing as they emit earthy scents that bees are drawn to, similar to what they find when searching out hives; so more likely will visit your watering station!
Placement
Honey bees will be attracted to any clean bowl or container filled with water, but to prevent drowning bees it’s essential that rocks or other objects be added so they have somewhere safe to land if they stop for a dip in pools, birdbaths or wet clotheslines. Sugar water could attract ants which would then attack and kill off all your bees! Also avoid adding sugar water as that would invite an invasion by these insects that will ultimately kill off their species!
As an aid to bees finding your station, add some salt into the water to give it that salty ocean scent that they find so appealing. A coiled soaker hose or water-filled hummingbird feeders with no syrup in them are also effective ways of drawing them in; just beware not to place too close as bees will send out dance signals telling other bees where to find food!
