The Simple Fix To Stop Bees & Wasps From Drowning In Your Birdbath

If you love watching birds, you may have placed a birdbath outside of your home to give the feathered animals a place to hydrate and cool off. While this will bring birds flocking to your yard, it may also attract wasps and bees. Unfortunately, these winged insects drown after fully submerging themselves into the birdbath water. Allan Cabrero, Ph.D., an entomologist and National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, revealed that you can put an end to this with the help of pebbles and rocks.

"Adding gravel and pebbles to the birdbath will give the bees/wasps a safe place to land and drink water," Cabrero explained while speaking exclusively to House Digest. "This will also provide them with a way to crawl out if they do get stuck in the water." You have probably heard of all kinds of bird bath tips, such as placing pennies inside the water to prevent the growth of algae. However, this simple, low-cost method is recommended by an expert, so it may be worth putting this trick to the test to help keep bees and wasps safe.

Since bees and wasps drown so easily in birdbaths, you might be wondering why they are drawn to them at all. It turns out that they benefit from the water source for the same reasons that birds do. "Like birds, bees and wasps also seek out sources of water," Allan Cabrero, Ph.D., explained while speaking exclusively to House Digest. Unfortunately, inching close to this water to refuel can quickly turn deadly for these insects. "Occasionally they will fall into the bowl and be unable to get out due to the surface tension of the water, this will cause them to drown," the expert continued.

Regardless of whether you built a charming DIY birdbath or opted for a store-bought version, bees and wasps are going to be attracted to the water inside. In fact, they will likely make a habit of revisiting the location for more water. "If the birdbath is a convenient source of water nearby to their hives they may continue to visit it," Cabrero revealed. This just increases the likelihood of the flying creatures eventually drowning in the birdbath.

Interestingly, Allan Cabrero, Ph.D., revealed that it is not realistic to expect to keep bees and wasps away from the water. Any bird bath cleaning tricks intended to deter the insects likely will not work. As a result, the aforementioned method of placing pebbles and gravel inside to help the insects climb out is a much more practical solution. You may have seen recommendations online that advise you to temporarily empty your birdbath and place a separate water source for bees and wasps nearby. Cabrero is not a fan of using this method to attempt to keep the insects away.

"This effort is not necessary; you can place pebbles or rocks in the water so that bees and wasps can safely crawl out and fly away," he explained while speaking exclusively to House Digest. Creating a separate water source will defeat the purpose of the birdbath. Unfortunately, birds may avoid the birdbath and find their way to the alternative location intended to attract bees and wasps. "I'm not aware of a method of keeping bees and wasps away from certain water sources," Cabrero said. "Anything that deters them may deter other animals as well."