Bowl of water on the balcony, run and pick it up immediately: a measure that saved millions of lives
A bowl of water placed on the balcony can save your life on many occasions. That is why each one of us should have this good habit.
Simply placing a container of water on the balcony can help keep bees, birds and stray animals away, especially during extremely hot days .
One is enough, even two if you have the space, to save the lives of several animals facing weeks of intense heat, which is testing them this year like never before.
The importance of the water bowl outside the balcony
In cities, villages and the countryside, animals cannot find the right amount of water that their bodies also need to quench their thirst. Both humans and animals can survive without food for a few days, but not without water. While man somehow manages to cope, animals cannot.
The underlying problem is drought , as the high temperatures of recent weeks have made it impossible to find water almost everywhere. This means that the lives of many animals are at great risk.
We could all do what we can to help them by limiting the damage to a minimum . What can be done does not create any inconvenience or problem at all. Outside the front door, in a window or on any balcony, just place a container with water, which must be kept under control because it can quickly run out also due to the high temperatures that cause it to evaporate .
For bees, all you need is a waterer, a very small bowl with a little water inside and that’s it. You can buy a ready-made bee waterer or you can try to make it at home. For bees, any container with water is not good, because they are small and can drown. For other animals that have a terrace or balcony, it is better to place the bowl between the plants. A small bowl made of rigid plastic or metal is fine, as are glass jars that are harder to move with a simple gust of wind.
How and where to place the water bowl.
If the house is on the ground floor, the bowl can be left in front of the front door, in the middle of the street, which is probably more easily accessible for any animal. It is recommended to place the bowls in a position that allows visibility from the street. Alternatively, if there is a street particularly frequented by animals, whether dogs or cats, more bowls can be placed to help and rescue more animals in difficulty.
It is worth remembering that you obviously have to change the water every day, both because you run the risk of unintentionally creating the ideal habitat for mosquitoes, which can easily lay their eggs in it, and because after several hours it is no longer good.
Because these water bowls could become dangerous
These bowls, which are initially only a polite gesture, can become a serious health hazard for your four-legged friend . If they are clean bowls, the problem arises halfway, and the risk of transmitting infections and diseases from animal to animal is slightly lower.
However, if these are water bowls that have never been washed, changed and therefore neglected over time, the risk of transmitting diseases becomes really high. The bowl placed outside, after a while, becomes a receptacle for bacteria and viruses that in some cases can even be lethal. So, if you really want to help animals, it is a good idea to wash the bowl every day, or at most use disposable bowls to change them often and eliminate the problem at the root .
Warning for pet owners
When you go out for a walk with your pet, in summer it is a good idea to carry a bottle of water with you so that the animal can cool down if necessary , avoiding using these water bowls.
Communal water bowls on the streets are designed for stray animals and not for animals with owners. It is also recommended to go outside during the coolest hours of the day. In the absence of water, the animal, like man, can easily resist, obviously not for long, without putting its health or life at risk . Drinking from communal bowls is certainly more dangerous.
