Bees need water (photos)

[keith pierce]

During this last couple of weeks of fine weather all the local puddles of water have dried out and the bees have turned in to the water supply that I have out for them. They are consuming nearly a gallon of water a day.My out apiaryS all have water drains near them and you can see the bees sitting on the pond weed and drinking the water

 

[pargyle]

Hi Keith, How near to your hives are your bee watering points ... I can't see where my bees are getting their water from at present - we have a garden pond but there's no sign of them there and various other water sources in the garden. I was going to put something like you have actually in the apiary ... but how close (or not) to the hives do they have to be, is it best on the ground or raised up ? ... comments from anyone welcome .. only a one hive owner so don't need a huge tank nearby. If they are anything like my hens they would sooner drink filthy rainwater than clean, fresh tap water so it will be sourced from the greenhouse water butt.

 

[keith pierce]

Hi Keith, How near to your hives are your bee watering points ... I can't see where my bees are getting their water from at present - we have a garden pond but there's no sign of them there and various other water sources in the garden. I was going to put something like you have actually in the apiary ... but how close (or not) to the hives do they have to be, is it best on the ground or raised up ? ... comments from anyone welcome .. only a one hive owner so don't need a huge tank nearby. If they are anything like my hens they would sooner drink filthy rainwater than clean, fresh tap water so it will be sourced from the greenhouse water butt.

My home apiary holds over 30 stocks of bees and the water is in the corner of the apiary where it gets the morning and evening sun. Yes, they seem to love the muddy and dirty water, but if you don't let your water source dry out, then they might not go for the muddy water. If you have a pond then there is not really any point in putting another water souse out for them.

 

[scuttlefish]

Great photos, cheers Keith. My own hives are on a cattle farm and have a couple of water troughs nearby, but I do wonder how many bees get accidentally lapped up by the bullocks...

 

[YorkshireBees]

I absolutely agree that they need a water source.
I use an old bucket (preferably black to absorb the sun rays and warm the water) in my out apiaries with a suitable rock / stone that weighs the bucket down, so that it doesn't blow over and to provide a safe landing area for the bees.

In terms of nearness, the buckets are quite close to the hives in any suitable flat surface. I figure the less distance the water carriers have to travel the faster they can fetch water and get on with making honey!

 

[masterBK]

I didn't think worker bees had bullocks only the drones!

 

[MJBee]

Although I have placed a water source close to the hives (shallow tray with gravel and oasis) my bees still seem to prefer the bird bath!! Moss, oasis and a strip of wood provide extra landing areas.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

lapped up by the bullocks...

Sounds interesting - might try that one day - but rememberr this is a family friendly forum and matters like this are better discussed on adult only websites (apparently)

 

[itma]

Three important things about the water supply -

- must get the sun (my pond doesn't, and the bees take very little notice of it), the birdbath gets sun in the afternoon, and from lunchtime onwards, its their pub. I think its not just about the warmth of the water itself, but also about the sun warming the bees while they tank up on still-cool water.
- must be obvious to the bees. If it blends in with the background, they'll stand a better chance of missing it. Visual or odour cues would both help (we all know about the attractiveness of smelly water, whether in hot tub or septic tank.) Pale stone or black bucket (with pale stone) stand out from the background. I've successfully used potted plants to signpost a watering hole.
- must have a good 'beach' - in the sun, as above. Mud or moss or even greenhouse mesh is good. A sharp clear 'cliff' isn't so good. The more beachfront, the more bees can drink at the same time.

 

[pargyle]

Great photos, cheers Keith. My own hives are on a cattle farm and have a couple of water troughs nearby, but I do wonder how many bees get accidentally lapped up by the bullocks...

That sounds VERY painfull !!

 

[pargyle]

Three important things about the water supply -

- must get the sun (my pond doesn't, and the bees take very little notice of it), the birdbath gets sun in the afternoon, and from lunchtime onwards, its their pub. I think its not just about the warmth of the water itself, but also about the sun warming the bees while they tank up on still-cool water.
- must be obvious to the bees. If it blends in with the background, they'll stand a better chance of missing it. Visual or odour cues would both help (we all know about the attractiveness of smelly water, whether in hot tub or septic tank.) Pale stone or black bucket (with pale stone) stand out from the background. I've successfully used potted plants to signpost a watering hole.
- must have a good 'beach' - in the sun, as above. Mud or moss or even greenhouse mesh is good. A sharp clear 'cliff' isn't so good. The more beachfront, the more bees can drink at the same time.

I'm going to try something on these lines ... I still can't find where they are getting their water from ... although, as it's a new colony I've got a rapid feeder on there with 1:1 (and it's full of bees taking the syrup down) so perhaps they are getting all they need from that at present ... if it is, then probably an ideal time to establish a convenient, bee friendly watering hole when they start to need it ?

 

[Goran]

If You have only one colony I believe one jar ( I use 3 liters jars) with cotton cloth turned upside down as one hygienic water supply is more than sufficient.
I know that bees don't drink only from this water source, but this is best I can to reduce possibility of catching some diseases ( nosema cerana..).