I love your bee waterer! Where did you get the marbles? Believe it or not after reading your blog I spent about an hour searching the internet trying to find similar marbles but no luck! Lots of marbles out there to be sure but I really like the size and clarity of the ones you have. In addition to being functional it looks very nice! =)

I'm ashamed to say, we got them at Wal-mart. I think they were in the floral section, meant to be used in vases as a decorative element. I suspect that if you start looking online in flower arranging type areas, you might find some like them!

Nothing wrong with buying stuff from Wally World... I tend to buy things there if they're the exact same as I would buy elsewhere since they're usually cheaper. Thanks for the reply, I'll definitely check there the next time I go! =)

Always glad to help! I hope they're still selling them --- I think they'd been sitting in our barn for a year or two.

My favorite way is to use an empty Mason jar, remove the cap, fill the jar with sugar water (4 table spoon of sugar for each 2 ounce of water completely dissolved), cover it with napkin already folded twice, then cover it with a plate. Inverse the whole thing and leave it on a table out there.

If you insert a small pin or needle between the jar and napkin, it will allow more juicy water out while still control the flow.

Skeptic --- that sounds like a good, low budget solution! I wouldn't add the sugar, though, unless your bees are in extreme need. We try to just leave enough honey for the bees so that we don't have to feed them the less nutritional sugar water.

We have had trouble with our 'girls' having pool parties in the dog's water dish. I am out there multiple times daily fishing out bees, drying and warming them and then releasing them to return to their hives. I have tried other set ups, including a chicken waterer, but still they drown and many return to the dog dish. Your bee waterer looks like a perfect solution, and is charming to boot. Nicely done!

Megan --- Glad to help! This waterer should solve your problem, and is definitely easy to build.

I actually am doing that with hummingbird feeders I make the nectar myself I have 3 out. I had so many one day they covered them got what they wanted drained all 3 and went on their merry way. I love the bee waterer I was wondering about that. I will do this also as I am watering the birds with a sturdy plastic bowl hammered into a fence post near the feeder. I placed a rock in the deep bowl (small) so the birds that are small will not drown as they get a drink they can stand on the rock as they drink. The water effect! I love it! We are Native American me and my husband and we love your site. We love and honor Mother Earth and the Creators animals. S'gi (thank you)

Utsati Adadoligi (Many Blessings) Meli (Mary)

Have bees in front yard - will try today - sounds better than sticks in barrels of water

Just be careful with any standing water in bowls, etc. The West Nile is going crazy at least in north Dallas counties.

Are these glass marbles or are they watering Beads (that swell when you add water)?

I do the same thing except I use pea gravel in mine.

Thanks for the terrific post!! In our area (Northwest) we have Dollar Stores, and in the aisle that has vases I always find the "glass drops", and you know it, they are $1 a bag. The "big box" stores can always be counted on having them also, but a $1 a bag beats them too I would make sure though, that this dish was rinsed out, and filled with fresh water every day

Everybody --- Fun to see so many of you dropping by this old post!

To be honest, I didn't leave the waterer out long enough to really test whether it would get mosquito problems. After a week or so, I needed my cake pan back --- we can only go so long without deep dish pies. But I didn't see any larvae during that time, despite not cleaning it, which makes me suspect that since there's no real standing water, the mosquitoes didn't parse this as a safe place to lay their eggs. I'll be curious to hear from anyone who tries and does or doesn't get mosquito larvae in their waterer.

Sheila --- These are glass marbles, from the exact same spot Trish mentions below.

The bees at my house love the concrete bird baths, especially the small one. They can grip the concrete.

Sugar water sounded like a great idea but was concerned about the sugar so did a bit of reading and gleaned enough to realize that if bees need sugar water then the keepers will do it and only under certain circumstances. Nature lovers want to help but there are times we need to be careful.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bees/msg1000290222908.html

Kirsten --- You're right on track. We try not to feed our bees sugar water, although we do have to from time to time. I consider it junk food, good only for emergencies.

This is a great idea and I am not sure if Michael stores in the US has glass marbles or not. Another idea is the glass pebbles that are sold for flower arranging. I know that we have both in the Michael in Canada has both. Also we are able to find both the pebbles and marbles in dollar stores.

you could use pebbles/small stones instead of marbles, I would think

We do the same basic concept for our butterfly house, Flying Flowers. My difference is we use a terracotta saucer and I use river rock and just enough water for them to get a 'drink'. We have since started doing this for the bees in the garden too. So much better than fishing them out of our birdbath etc. Thanks for sharing.

Wanted to throw out a suggestion that I did. I did purchase marbles at Dollar Tree like somebody suggested and I also purchased the pie pan there. I "distressed" them to make them look old, Hubby then had some extra pieces of wood around the yard. I had him drill a hole in the wood, I then glued that piece of wood on the bottom of the pie pan. Stuck a dowell rod into that hole into the ground. $2.50 and the bees are happy and safe. Can also go to salvation army or goodwill and find old dishes/bowls for bird feeders. Works great

Michaels Craft stores have all kinds of marbles

I picked up a 5 gallon plastic. food-grade pail, (courtesy of our local donut shop) filled it with water and floated several dozen real styrofoam packing peanuts on the surface for the bees to land on.
3

To make it easier for the girls to climb out, lean a straight stick or board from inside the corner of the bucket and they can climb back out and fly away.

I don't understand putting sugar water out for honey bees. What's the logic of that?

Evan --- I really like your alternative! Very simple and cheap, and uses up those ubiquitous packing peanuts....

James --- Now and then, as a beekeeper, you have to feed the bees sugar water. For example, a new package needs some food before they've got their feet under them enough to forage for their own, and you sometimes have to feed them after a drought so they'll stock up enough honey for the winter. But I wouldn't do it if I didn't keep bees and know the state of the hive.

use small rocks instead of the marbles.

When several large Banks Roses were removed from close to a brick wall, I discovered that I had bees "living" in the space between bricks in the wall behind my house. There were hundreds on either side of the wall around the one space during spring......an increase over several months from winter. The Rosemary bushes attracted them, as did a few other plants. I've had them buzzing around those bushes for years w never a problem, they never bothered me as I worked in the yard amongst the bushes---I did talk to them tho! Anyway, after 3 weeks out of town, they were mostly gone upon my return...now summer is here with it's horrendous heat in the 100's---So. NV. I have a pool, tho see no drowned bees.

I'm wondering if I should make a bee waterer in the hopes that they will return. Maybe they've gone elsewhere? ps..I have photos of the bees when the mound on either side of the wall was about 2-3 thick of bees all group together---it was fascinating & a bit intimidating at the same time!

I dont have a bee hive but I like honey bees in my garden for polonating the plants and they are becoming endangered because of pesticides, but my question is I have alot of wasp which I dont like, dosnt the Bee water attract them as well?

Midge --- We haven't noticed wasps at our bee waterer, but you probably would if you followed one of the recommendations in the comments of using sugar water. With plain water, we seem to only attract honeybees.

On the other hand, I like wasps. They do have a painful sting, but don't seem to harass me unless I accidentally squash one. And in the meantime, wasps do a great job of ridding the garden of pest insects. Don't forget, wasps have a use too!

great idea!