I’m no naturalist, I have just put a bowl of water out in the backyard, is it needed for the wildlife?

15 comments

1. Yes the burbs will use it to wash and cool down. Put out some seed also for them

2. I put a couple of bowls in the shade the other day. I figured that any local cats or birds may make use of them (hopefully not at the same time!). I also put a third tub out filled with stones and then water. Apparently bees and other flying things can drink without drowning in the water. No idea if this is the right thing or not.

3. Change it regularly. Leave a bowl of water out in my garden and it’ll be swarming with mosquito larvae before you can reach for the insect repellent

4. Stick some twigs in it so that bees can use it and get out of it as well.

   Don’t leave the water there more than a day. Replace it or chuck it.

5. birds need to drink

6. I have a cat visitor that always seems to be out so I left a few bowls of water out and some treats in her usual sitting places. She looks well looked after but better to be safe than sorry.

7. We have a large stone saucer which keep filled up for the birds and anything else that passes by. It’s very important for their survival

8. I left some out last night. Within 5 minutes next door’s cat stopped for a drink

9. Quite good for birds to wash in. It can actually be a problem it hot weather that birds will try to wash/cool down in water butts and other deep structures and drown as they can’t get back out.

10. good for wildlife.

    You’re better off with a couple of slightly deeper ones for birds to drink wash. These would be dog bowl size of thing or pyrex dish, saucepans etc.

    Then some very shallow ones (like flowerpot trays), some with stones for insects and bees/butterflies to drink without drowning, and some without for small critters like hedgehogs.

    Put them all in areas near shade, and make sure pebbles stick up for insects.

11. Ah is it hot is it

12. Last night for the first time ever I put out my washing up bowl half full of water, today a neighbours shed exploded and set fire to a big tree next to it and the fence dividing us and melted my washing up bowl! Quite a day.

13. Refresh it daily and you’ll have no trouble with mozzies

14. I have 2 bowls, well they’re pot saucers, a deep one 14” across by 3” deep and another one of a similar width but almost as shallow as a plate. The deep one is used as a bath and the shallow one, although used as a bath by smaller birds, is where all drink. I’ve seen wasps, bees, beetles, hover flies, bluebottles, the list goes on. I love it, it’s a real connection to the natural world

15. I used the bucket from a beach bucket and spade- filled with water and hung it amongst our hedges.