Using water features in your garden to attract birds and insects

In order to attract wildlife to your garden, their basic needs must be met – food, shelter, and water. Water especially stands out as one of the most important elements for a successful garden design for native wildlife. Even more important than providing food, water will attract a wide variety of wildlife including birds and insects.

Bird Baths
The easiest way to provide fresh water is to set out a shallow bird bath. Add some irregular shaped stones that birds and bees can perch on to reach the water. Bees will drown in just a few inches of water without any type of resting spot. Think of imitating natural rocks in a stream when you set up a bird bath.

Bird baths should be rinsed out every few days to prevent harmful bacteria from developing.

Water Fountains/Small Water Features
A bubbling boulder or small fountain will provide fresh drinking water for wildlife, and some animals prefer moving water. Make sure you clean it regularly to prevent algae buildup. A quick scrub with a water and vinegar mixture will remove any build up. A moving water feature will attract more wildlife than a still water feature like a birdbath. If you have a small space, consider a wall fountain which recirculates the water into a small basin. These can be found as ready-to-plug-in kits and are easy to install. Container ponds are also a good landscape feature for small yards. Easy to create out of a glazed pot or half of a wine barrel, you can even include fish in them.

Worried about mosquitos?  Add a non toxic mosquito dunk to the bird bath keep the mosquito larvae at bay.

Read more about adding water to your yard and the benefits
​www.washingtonpost.com/home/2023/05/15/tips-watering-wildlife-birds-insects/