Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Supporting Your Pollinators by Kimberly Sheahan


Photo: Kimberly Sheahan

Late spring is a wonderful time in Colorado - gardens are beginning to hit their stride and show off their magnificent blooms and the pollinators are hard at work.  A wonderful way to support pollinators and beneficial insects that you've attracted to your garden is to provide them their own water source separate from birds.  Typically, a bird bath is too deep for pollinators as well as potentially putting them near predators.

Pictured – A bumblebee enjoying a Penstemon pseudospectabilis “Desert beardtongue”
Photo: Kimberly Sheahan


A shallow pot such as the one pictured below is a marvelous option for creating the bath. This one is 10 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep. It is filled with varying sizes of rocks to allow the pollinators to rest right on/near the water.
Photo: Kimberly Sheahan
A few tips to remember when creating your pollinator bath:
·      Keep it shallow
·      Place rocks or wood in it to provide support
·      Change the water every few days to keep mosquitoes eggs from hatching
Find out more about creating a pollinator habitat here:  Pollinator Habitat