This post also appears on my Facebook page:
Last year our Japanese pagoda tree flowered for the first
time and was alive with bees, bumble bees, different types of wasps and other
insects. I did put out a bowl of water
which mainly attracted the local wasps.
This morning, on Facebook, I saw a photo of a bowl of water and marbles
put out for bees (sorry, I don’t remember where). The idea is that the bees can drink standing
on the marbles and are less likely to fall in and drown. I seem to remember being told long ago that
bees like shiny things, so in theory they will be drawn to the bowl of shiny
marbles.
After doing a little research online I’ve learnt that the
water should be changed regularly to prevent mosquitoes from breeding
there. Don’t add sugar or honey to the
water, not good for the bees.
