Bee and Butterfly Waterer
It's officially spring. The bees are out in full force and we all know they need as much help as they can get. I haven't seen any yet but the butterflies won't be far behind.
A few years ago I pounded a few pieces of electrical conduit into the ground in my front flower bed with the intention of turning them into either something for the birds or a Bee and Butterfly Waterer.
You could easily make this into a platform bird feeder by filling it with birdseed but I decided to go with pretty gems and water. The glass gems make it pretty but also serve a practical purpose.
They attract the bees & butterflies with their pretty colors and give them somewhere to land so they don't get stuck in the water and drown. Like my ladybug vs bumble bee tic-tac-toe game this is an easy afternoon project that doesn't require skill.
Bee and Butterfly Waterer Supplies:
- Electrical conduit, 1 inch, cut to size (desired height plus 12-16 inches)*
- Wooden dowel that fits easily but not loosely into the pipe, 12 inches
- Outdoor-rated glue
- Dinner plate, make sure it's deep, a shallow plate won't hold enough water (This is from the Pioneer Woman Collection at Walmart)
- Glass gems - Check the Dollar Tree
- Water
*If you can't get your conduit cut you can replace the metal pipe with a flower pot turned upside down, if you get lucky the plate will sit snuggly on the flower pot and you won't have to worry about glue!
How to Make a Bee and Butterfly Waterer
Start by pounding your pipe into the ground. I pushed it in as far as it would go and then placed a piece of 2x4 over the post and hit it with a hammer until it was about a foot in the ground.
Each spring I check to make sure they're still secure.
Glue the dowel to the bottom of the plate as close to the center as you can get. Let the glue set according to the package directions
Stick the dowel into the pipe, add gems and water
Depending on where your butterfly waterer is located you might need to add water every day or every few days, same with cleaning. Luckily it's easy to pull up the plate, give the rocks and plate a quick cleaning (in straight water!) and put it all back together.
Obviously, direct sun will lead to more algae and water loss but if you stick it under a tree you'll be cleaning out leaves and tree residue.
Check out my DIY Garden Projects page for more ideas or start here:
That is gorgeous! I don't have room for a regular size bird bath and this will fit perfectly. Love the gems - they add such a dash of color!
This is so beautiful and would look lovely in any garden! We have a lot of bees here and could use one of these!
How cute and so simple! I love that it's a pretty way to attract pretty butterflies!
This is a great idea. We have quite a few bees visiting our garden and yard this Spring. These will be a great addition to the yard.
This is so pretty, what a great idea, I will have to try it!
I had no idea that the glass gems attract the bees and butterflies, but it makes total sense. It's a really beautiful bird feeder!
This turned out perfect. I showed it to my daughter and she wants to make one for her garden. Hoping to do it this weekend!
So pretty and I love the blue color especially during summer!
This is beautiful! I'll definitely have to give it a try this week!
Whenever I accomplish a task or sport event I get ice cream. I like your style!
Great post! It's so important to help the pollinators in any way we can.
This is so pretty! I know that my 10 year old daughter would love helping me with this project! She is always wanting to help God's creatures and critters. 🙂
I couldn’t get the wooden dowel to stick to the plate. I used gorilla glue☹️
@Debra, try E-3000 or the GE silicone sealant.
-Lisa
I use E600 Industrial glue for all things I planned to put outside. I think I made flowers from plates using this glue about 4 years ago and it's still together.
I am going to do this and just place the plate on a small table so I don't have to use the dowel and conduit and glue. Simple. And then easy to clean.
I want to try this, seems so lovely however I sometimes have young granbabies visit. Would it be safe to glue the stones in place so little hands can’t grab them? I was wondering if the glue might cause the water to be tainted🤷♀️ Thanks
I wouldn't glue them, you could probably use fish tank sale silicone adhesive without harming the butterflies but it would be very difficult to keep it clean. I keep mine in the middle of a clump of cone flowers, the kids can see it but they don't go into the flowers and they can't reach the stones.
Such a great idea. I would love to try but concerned about mosquito larva?
I ended up refilling almost daily, it's a shallow plate and it doesn't hold a lot of water. If you clean it out every few days or even just overfill it and let the excess run off to clear out any eggs you won't have any issues
The very best glue to use is two part epoxy, available at any hardware or big box store. Once mixed and applied to the surfaces to be bonded, you won't be able to separate them without breaking them.
@Larry Wachtel, thank you!!! I came looking for what glue is best and you answered that. I happen to have some two part epoxy. Gotta check if it’s for glass though...I bought extra when repairing a hard plastic lawn chair that the leg broke on.
@Melissa B, Alecia:
Instead of gluing the plate to the dowel, glue the plate to a small jar or skinny vase with glass glue or E6000 glue. Then place the glued plate/jar over the dowel or rebar (you probably only need one or the other by doing it this way.)
This also lets you remove the plate for easy cleaning.
@Joan, I made one of these with an upside down flower pot and used the saucer for the top.
Can't thank you enough, been meaning to make one for a long time!
I love this, is so practical, easy and the kids (little Kids, not Jr. High) (Jr high kids have enough to deal with, hormones running amuck through their systems.)
But, even disabled kids can get involved. Help with the 2by4, putting in ground. Then the gems you call them. We call them Dragon tears. With those and about a quarter cup of water, WHA-LAH ! A beautifulwatering system.
Might I suggest getting the shallow bowls or small plates n cups from any thrift store. You don't have to buy the whole set. The shallow bowl if you do one brush stroke of whatever color you want to represent petels on a flower with outdoor paint. It will paint over the enamel.
Blessings galore !!!