Watering station for Insects and Birds

According to the Red List, every third species of wild bee living in Germany is endangered or threatened with extinction, such as the dyke bumblebee or the winged cone bee. Yet a few small things in your own garden can help to preserve the diversity of our insect world.

Not only birds, but also insects are thirsty in summer. If there is no pond or watercourse nearby, this can become a problem for the small beneficial insects. Especially as many insects also need water to build their nests, e.g. to moisten clay.

An insect watering station is very easy to make yourself:

For example, you can place a stone in the bird bath that protrudes from the water. This serves as a landing place and safe access to the water without drowning.
Or you can set up a special insect watering place: to do this, place a few pebbles in a shallow bowl or bird bath and fill it with just enough water to half-cover the stones. You may also want to add some moss.

It is best to place the watering stations in a sunny, wind-protected spot near bee-friendly plants. It is also important to change the water regularly to prevent algae build-up.