More and more garden owners are trying onebee-friendly balconyor to create a garden by planting flowers that attract them and provide them with sufficient food. This is of course really helpful in combating the decline of bees. But it's not the only thing you can do. You could also build a bee trough yourself and you don't have to be a master craftsman to do this. With really simple items and means you can get them in no time. The project is also very interesting for the children. While you work, craft and build together, you can explain the importance of bees and other pollinating insects and train them to be tolerant of nature.
Build your own bee trough – Do bees drink water?
The answer is actually obvious, otherwise we would hardly recommend a drinker for bees. The question should rather be whether the insects only drink water or prefer or need other ingredients such as sugar. Some people decide to use sugar or honey water after building their own bee trough because the insects like it particularly well. What is well-intentioned is anything but beneficial: honey, for example, can contain bacteria or spores that the bees become infected with and then pass on to others.
This risk does not exist with sugar, but there is a different one: other bee colonies then try to “rob” the affected bee colony. Here too, one population could become infected from another, potentially sick population. Since you want to counteract the death of bees with the drinker, this is not a good idea. Therefore, choose simple water if you build your own bee trough! The best is something from a lake, stream or pondfrom the rain barrel. If you don't have this available, use tap water, but let it stand for a few days first. It is also important that the water in the drinker is not too cold. By the way, pool water is also suitable.
And why do the bees need the water?
On the one hand, the bees naturally drink water themselves. They need this for digestion. While there is enough dew to be found in spring, which they use for this purpose, moisture is more difficult to find in summer. The bees can save themselves a long search by building a bee trough for them themselves. This also prevents the bees from drowning in deep pond or pool water, because you build an insect trough so that the water is extremely shallow. Bees also use the water to water their brood.
What exactly is a bee trough?
And what does a bee trough look like? You can build a bee trough yourself using a variety of containers. The only important thing is that they are as flat as possible or filled with objects for landing. These objects (stones, marbles, sticks, etc.) also protect the bees from drowning. You can embellish the potions in a variety of ways, for example by using plants. The result is in principlean attractive mini pond, which is not only useful but also decorative. We will explain below which plants are suitable for bee potions.
As already mentioned, a shallow container forms the basis. This can be a bowl, a tray or the plate of a clay pot. If you want, you can even make a container yourself from quick-drying concrete and then paint it however you want. We'll show you a few ideas to imitate below:
You can easily build a bee trough yourself from a simple clay pot. You can paint the pot and plate any way you want in advance, preferably using spray paint. Once the paint has dried, place the pot upside down in the desired location. Fill the plate with one of the ideas below and place it on the pot. If you want a more stable construction, you can also permanently attach the plate to the pot with hot glue. This is also a popular oneBirdbath option.
Build water troughs for bees using marbles and glass stones
Marbles or glass stones look particularly pretty in the bee trough, and they like that tooused for aquariumsbecome. Simply distribute these in the bowl and then fill in a little water. It really doesn't have to be a lot of water if you build a bee trough yourself. It is important that you make sure that the marbles and stones protrude sufficiently out of the water so that the bees can land and linger easily.
Build your own bee trough with real stones
Pebbles or smaller river stones are ideal. They also have a rough surface that makes it easier for insects to hold on. If the natural look is a little too boring for you, you could also use thatPainting stones. This would be a great idea, for example, if you built your own bee trough with the children. You can then use them to first prepare the stones and then use them to design the troughs.
We also really like this idea, in which small piles were built from stones on which the bees can then land. If you use a large clay plate, there will even be enough space for a potted plant or flower.
stick
Sticks are very beneficial and can be combined with stones. They can float freely in the water, be placed over stones, or extend over the edges of the shell. In principle, you can play with their composition as you wish until you are happy with the look of your potions. Children can do one of these tooMake your own insect potions.
Use wine corks
Corks behave similarly to sticks or small pieces of driftwood. They float on the surface of the water and provide a good opportunity to land, hold on and drink. However, just because this material floats in the water does not mean that you can or should fill the container completely. Here, too, the water does not need to be so deep so that the bees do not drown.
Build your own bee trough with expanded clay
Expanded clay behaves like sticks and corks. It floats on the surface of the water, creating a suitable landing area. The expanded clay is also quite pretty to look at, especially when you combine it with other natural materials. Of course, the bowl can also be filled with expanded clay if you prefer.
A little bee beach
Use sandto create a landing spot for the bees. This can fill the entire bowl, although it should be higher on one side and lower on the other so that the bowl can be filled with a little water. Just like on a beach! Another option would be to combine sand and fine gravel and separate them with stones.
If you build the bee trough yourself, you can get really creative. However, we recommend that you use natural materials wherever possible.
Make your own bee potions with mussels
That theMussels from vacationYou probably already know that they can be used for a variety of craft projects. And even if you don't have marbles available for the bee trough, these natural materials prove to be a wonderful option. If you want to build the bee trough yourself with shells, you can use them like any other materials: distribute them in the bowl and fill it with water. Or how about first spreading sand, adding some shells and then adding water? Holiday flair is guaranteed!
Build your own bee trough out of bottle caps and popsicle sticks as a project for children
Don't you find this bee bar really cute? We think your kids will have great funfrom popsicle sticksand bottle caps to create such an interesting construction. All you need is lots of popsicle sticks and lids that you can glue together as you like using hot glue. Simply glue or nail the finished bee bar to a board that you can stick in the middle of the flower bed. You can fill the lids almost to the brim with water so that the insects can drink water without having to bend over too much.
Bee trough – building instructions for an arrangement with flowers
Take a large flower pot or tub, place a suitable container for the waterer in the middle and fill the area between both containers with potting soil. You can plant flowers there, preferably those that attract bees. Alternatively, you can fill the large pot completely with soil, leave enough free space in the middle when planting and then simply set up the small one. You can then build the desired bee trough yourself in the small container. In this way you can create a wholeBuild a plant pyramid.
Where should I place the finished bee trough?
Building a bee trough yourself is one thing - but where should it best go afterwards? Near a flower bed where the insects gather their food would be ideal. So our winged friends have their water nearby. However, you should prefer a location that is sunny but not in the blazing sun. A place with morning or evening sun, partial shade under a tree or partially protected from the sun by tall grass or bushes is well suited. Furthermore, the insect drinker should be protected from the wind.
If you build your own bee trough in spring and set it up early, the bees (and other insectslike butterflies) get used to it quickly and use it regularly. You should therefore not change location later and ensure that fresh water is always available.
Which plants for bee potions?
Which flowers and plants you can buy for the bee trough depends of course on various things - on the one hand, whether the plants should be outside the trough or inside, i.e. in the water. There is also the later location, because some flowers tolerate sun, others less. Before you build the bee trough yourself, first think about where it will stand later. Accordingly, choose any flowers for border planting that are also suitable for pot planting. The best would of course be bee-friendly varieties that will immediately attract the insects and provide them with nectar.
If you build a kind of mini pond yourself in a shallow tub as a bee trough, this is also suitableAquatic plants for planting. Suitable items include:
- Mini Papyrus
- European seapot
- hardy Indian flower cane
- Duckweed
- Fettblätter
It is best to seek advice from a garden center for this purpose.
Maintain
So you want to build an insect bath, but keep in mind that it also requires a certain amount of care. Otherwise, especially in warm summer, numerous germs can form and make the insects sick. For this reason, the drinker and its contents must be cleaned regularly. This means that you not only have to change the water more often, but also clean or replace the elements used. Hot water and a brush should be sufficient for this purpose. Denatured alcohol is also suitable if the dirt is more stubborn. But you have to rinse it well afterwards.
Many people worry that the bee trough could attract mosquitoes. And these pests actually like the water too. After all, one of the things they do is use it to lay their eggs. Changing the water regularly will also remove any eggs and larvaethus preventing reproduction. Otherwise, you can also keep mosquitoes out of the garden or watering hole with the right plants. So after you build and set up the bee trough yourself, distribute suitable flowers around it. Find out what these arein this article.
Would you now like to make other insects happy and provide them with shelter? How about you get oneMake your own insect hotel?
