Gosh it’s been hot and we have all had to drink a lot more water – after all, around 60% of our bodies are made of the stuff.
It is easy to forget that other creatures need to drink too but finding a suitable place to access fresh water is not always easy.
Did you know that insects and bees need to drink?
Put yourself in their shoes – they need a good local watering hole where they can easily reach the bar and not be vulnerable to attack. Also, they risk drowning if they attempt to reach water on a steep edged bowl or fountain.
This poor bee landed in the Serpentine and, despite the best effort of some passers by, drowned (someone actually took a picture of the drama).
Birds need to drink to survive too – they generally eat quite dry food and should be drinking at least twice a day.
Is there somewhere in your garden where they could stop off for a swift sip?
Birds also need water to preen and bathe and generally keep themselves looking good.
It is so easy to help both bees and birds, hedgehogs and other garden mammals in our gardens. We just need to make sure there is always a dish of water somewhere – preferably a couple, one at ground level and one elevated to suit birds. The one above is from Primrose and is made of stone – couldn’t be simpler.
Of course you can get as fancy as you like but keep bees and insects in mind – they must be able to drink safely.
So if there’s one thing you do in your garden today – give them a drink. Now, if you have a bit more room and would like to make a pond…..
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