Making an insect watering station is a great thing to do in summer when it can be a little harder for insects to find moisture, particularly during a prolonged dry period like it has been recently. They’re also really simple to make and provide a great way to start a conversation with little ones about the importance of looking after our insects.

Did you know that honey bees collect water and take it back to their hive to make food for their young, and keep their hive cool and humid? Unfortunately, a deep water source like rivers, streams or even birdbaths puts bees at risk of drowning or being food for other predators. This insect watering station will provide a safe place where bees and other insects can hydrate or collect water.

What you will need:

A shallow bowl or deep dish
Pebbles
Small sticks
Other natural items such as shells or pine cones (optional)

What you need to do:

First, you’ll need to choose a suitable vessel to hold the water. A plant saucer is ideal but size doesn’t really matter, however, a shallower dish will need topping up with water more often and a deeper dish will require more pebbles to fill it up. I used a ceramic dog water bowl.

Place your pebbles in your dish - this will give insects a safe place to access the water from. You can also add things like shells or pine cones to your dish. Try to avoid things like marbles or glass pebbles as they can be too smooth for insects to grab on to. Then add some small sticks on top of your pebbles. These will float if the water level raises, for example if it rains, so that insects always have a place to drink from.

Fill your dish with water but make sure that the tops of the pebbles are exposed. Your insect watering station should be emptied and refilled occasionally to keep the water clean and fresh.

Place your watering station in a cool, partly shady spot near your flower beds or pots or where you have seen the most insect activity. Lots of scarlet tiger moths visit my front garden so I put this insect watering station in one of their favourite spots, in a large pot containing a star magnolia.

I can’t wait to see some insects use this watering station!