Everybody knows (or should!) that bees are vital to our food production and survival and most people have heard that they are in trouble. Bee populations are in decline, so we need as many bees as possible.
Plus, they’re working so hard! An article on getholistichealth.com Says, “Imagine how hard just one bee works in a single day. Bees tend to at least 2,000 flowers daily, with tiny wings beating 10,000 times per minute, carrying pollen, and dramatically assisting our food supply.
Sound exhausting? Bees get thirsty, and they need safe water sources. The problem is water is not always available.
Bees need very shallow water to drink from. However, shallow water evaporates quickly. Birdbaths are not the best option as bees tend to drown if the water is not be shallow enough. As for river and lakes, bees risk their lives trying to get water in the presence of fishes, frogs, and other wildlife, not to mention the risk of being swept away in water currents.
To help hydrate our little pollinators, set up a water feeder by filling a pie pan with marbles and then water. The marbles give the bees a spot to land so that they don’t drown when they come to drink. No more drowned bees!”
When I saw this project I thought it was too easy not to give a shot.
I had an old pie pan that I never used and filled it with marble gems (about $5 at Walmart). You could probably find a bag of marbles at a thrift store for even cheaper.
I placed mine on top of a garden totem I made a couple years ago, you can make one like it here: http://accordingtoleanne.com/2013/06/23/colored-garden-totems/
