Make Your Own Bee Bath!

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If you’re reading this, I am going to guess that you love bees just as much as I do. With all of the news about colony collapse, massive bee die-offs and habitat loss, I am always looking for ways to help our beautiful bee friends. A couple of years ago I installed a bee house, and it went so well that last year, I added two more. Every year I add new bee friendly plants, and since we don’t spray our yard, it is basically all dandelions, which bees love (I don’t think our neighbors are as appreciative as the bees.

Making a bee bath is really simple as it gets, but I don’t think very many people realize how important providing a water source for bees is. I know I didn’t until recently. The truth is, bees need water just like the rest of us, and they don’t have great depth perception. They need very shallow water, and ideally, something to stand on while getting a drink. It breaks my heart when I go out to rinse my bird baths and see dead bees floating. Making a bath specifically for the bees seems like the perfect solution!

By spending a few dollars, or digging a couple of things out of your garage, you can make your very own bee bath, and you can get as creative as you want with it! It doesn’t need to be fancy, but it sure can be with the right accessories!

Here’s what you need:

• A terra cotta drainage plate (aka the bottom of a plant pot)
• Rocks (I used river rocks because I had a bag in my garage, but any rocks will do)
• Optional embellishments (fairy garden adornments, moss, etc)

How to make it:

Cover the drainage plate with rocks and your adornments. Find a shady and level spot in your garden and fill with water, making sure the water level isn’t too high. You want your bees to be able to land on the rocks and safely access the water. And, that’s it! You will have to rinse and refill it frequently.

I made two different bee baths to put in different places in my garden. One is super simple with just rocks, and the other includes some fairy accessories left over from a past project. I love how they look, and I feel so happy knowing that the bees have a safe place to land.

If you make a bee bath, I would LOVE to see it! Email me a picture to ravensmoonapothecary@gmail.com. I will feature it on social media, and post it below on this blog post!

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