Handmade exclusive bird bath / insect bath made of glazed clay with a pattern. All materials come from Germany, and according to the manufacturer, the clay and glaze are free of heavy metals. The natural rope used is weather-resistant and attached ready for use with high-quality steel clips.
I make the bowls in my pottery workshop in the Harz Mountains. Color and pattern may vary slightly.
Diameter: approx. 18 cm
Background & Tips:
An insect potion is a useful device to help the small beneficial insects in your garden. Like all living things, insects also need water to drink. The water also has another benefit for the small creatures: some insects such as wasps need the water to build their nests. They grate plant fibers from old wood and process them into pulp with their saliva. The walls for their housing are built from this pulp.
Bees, in turn, collect water and bring it to their nest. There, the evaporation of the water ensures that the temperature and humidity are balanced. All insects look for water sources to drink from - these can be puddles or ponds. Sometimes they sit on plants like water lilies to get to the water. If they cannot find a suitable place to sit, the insects can drown in water that is too deep for them.
Hot, dry summers are the main problem. During this time, the puddles dry out and the insects find it increasingly difficult to find water. You can support the small beneficial insects with an insect potion.
There are different ways to design your insect potions:
1. Insect drinkers with natural materials: You can find materials in the garden to fill the insect drinkers. Your bowl made of glazed clay, glass or another stable material serves as the basis. Stones of different sizes are placed in the bowl - they can be placed next to each other or on top of each other. Other natural materials such as pieces of wood, moss and small plants can also be placed in the waterer. This not only creates a beautiful picture, but helps the insects to land and hide if necessary. Finally, water is added to the bowl - it is important that most of the stones and natural materials stick out of the water.
2. Insect drinker with glass marbles: A simple and quick variant to create is an insect drinker with glass marbles. Your waterproof and stable shell is also used here. You put glass marbles of different sizes in the bowl - the color doesn't matter. Then fill the bowl with enough water so that the marbles still stick out. The insects can land on these and drink from the water.