Bees aren’t looking for just nectar and pollen. “Honeybees need water, not just for honey production, but also to maintain a good temperature within the colony,” says Alyssa Piccolomini, entomologist for the Montana Department of Agriculture.
This holds true for native bees as well, particularly in arid or semiarid regions that go for weeks, if not months, without precipitation. Creating wet areas in the garden provides a source of mud, which some bees require to create their nest cells.
Setting up a bee bath in your yard is another way to support an ideal environment for the honeybees and native bees that are so important to our gardens.
When to Provide Water
“In terms of honeybees, they won’t start foraging until it’s 55 degrees or warmer. They are the wimpy ones of the bee…
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Birds & Blooms (Digital) - 1 Issue, August/September 2024