The duckweed we put in the pond last week has had an unexpected benefit: It’s rendered the pond safe for insects to use as a watering hole.
Before I put it out there, I found a lot of drowned wasps in the pond, and the bees didn’t really spend too much time hanging around there. This afternoon, I came home from work to find a half-dozen of our girls out there, using the duckweed and a struggling lily as a sort of aircraft carrier to support their landings and takeoffs. The duckweed is perfect for them, because it’s dense enough to give them a safe foothold, thus preventing accidental drownings, but spaced far enough apart for them to reach the water when they need a sip — which I’m sure helped them a lot this afternoon, as temperatures stretched into the 90s.
I took several pictures before a big red wasp decided I was too close and made a few passes in my general direction to let me know I was wearing out my welcome.
My pond is pretty, but that’s not the real reason I installed it. My primary motivation was to attract and support local wildlife, so it’s always heartening to see it serving well in that capacity.
Emily
September 23, 2007 at 10:20 pm |
so kind of you to give our pollinators a drink! nice blog posting.
September 23, 2007 at 10:46 pm |
It’s the least I can do for them. After all, they keep me supplied with honey for my tea all winter, and then they spend all summer pollinating my tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, okra, and blackberries. Between the bees and the chickens, I haven’t had to buy a whole lot of groceries this year.