The Watering Hole

Honey bees, like every other living creature, require water, and I have unintentionally provided them with a watering hole.

Every summer I put some of my houseplants outside, and one of them with long, trailing vines, gets an annual "haircut".  I placed some of the cuttings in a vase of water so that they would sprout roots.  By summer's end I will plant them in a pot and have a new houseplant.  

The other day I noticed that the vase of water, which is sitting on a table on the patio, was attracting honey bees.  Up to a half dozen of them were buzzing around, alighting on the cuttings or crawling down the inside of the vase to get a sip of water.

One of the bees had lost its footing and was flailing around in the water.  I took a small piece of tree bark, carefully scooped up the bee and placed the bark on the table.  A few moments later the bee was gone, so it must have recovered from its near drowning experience.

With all the news stories about honey bee die-offs, I am very happy to see them enjoying the flowers in my garden and stopping for a drink at the watering hole.