Provide Water for Pollinators
Certification Requirements:
✓ In order to certify, your garden needs at least one of the following water sources, continuously available while pollinators are active:
- Nearby natural body of water, such as a lake, river, stream or spring
- Birdbath or shallow dish of water
- Butterfly puddling area
- Water garden or pond
Water Sources
Pollinators need water for drinking, cooling, and reproduction. Butterflies, for example, will gather and sip mineral-rich water from shallow mud puddles. Bees get water from the nectar they collect but may also collect water to help them build nests. If you don’t have a natural water source like a lake or stream, you can create one by adding a birdbath, puddling area, or even a water garden.
To make a birdbath or other water source useful for insects: add rocks for them to land on while they drink. Change the water 2-3 times a week during warm weather to prevent mosquito breeding.
Water sources should provide a continuous supply while pollinators are active. Vernal pools and intermittent streams are not reliable water sources because they dry up in summer.
Learn More About Pollinator Water Sources:
- Landscapes for Maine: Adding a Rain Garden to Your Landscape, Bulletin #2702
- Water for Wildlife: Bird Baths and Backyard Ponds, PennState Extension