Drinking problem?

[Firegazer]

I have two colonies of bees; one is a full Langstroth box and the other nearly a full box. They are positioned 50m or so up the Hill from the house and garden.

We have a pond on a raised patio with fish, currently toad-poles, and the bees use this as a source of fresh water.

The last few days, the bees have been SO keen on water that there's a constant stream of bees between the hives and the pond. If you stand in the way, you get bumped into by a regular stream of badly navigating bees on their way back.

What are they up to?

I was guessing that they were using water to water down stores when there wasn't enough nectar available. There's currently just about every flower possible open and ready for business.

They are in poly hives and the temperature is about 20C so they can't be too hot, can they? I counted about 1 a second earlier and they were about 40 - 50 on a pond plant, sucking up water.

FG

 

[mandabow]

I have two colonies of bees; one is a full Langstroth box and the other nearly a full box. They are positioned 50m or so up the Hill from the house and garden.

We have a pond on a raised patio with fish, currently toad-poles, and the bees use this as a source of fresh water.

The last few days, the bees have been SO keen on water that there's a constant stream of bees between the hives and the pond. If you stand in the way, you get bumped into by a regular stream of badly navigating bees on their way back.

What are they up to?

I was guessing that they were using water to water down stores when there wasn't enough nectar available. There's currently just about every flower possible open and ready for business.

They are in poly hives and the temperature is about 20C so they can't be too hot, can they? I counted about 1 a second earlier and they were about 40 - 50 on a pond plant, sucking up water.

FG

bees use water on hot days to cool down the hive.. kind of like a cooling tower, or the equivalent of us sweating. using the latent heat required to evaporate the water to bring down the core temperature, the water vapour leaves the hive provided ventilation is adequate, and the brood doesnt overheat and die.

the bees aid the rate of evaporation by fanning the air over the droplets and through the hive, this increases the evaporation and general airflow http://peacebeefarm.blogspot.com/2009/06/cooling-bee-hive.html

if you can provide some shade and/or a closer source of water it'll free up more of your bees for foraging, as maintaining homeostasis in the hive is always primary concern.. alot of the nectar on offer in this lovely weather is not being collected because the bees are frantically trying to keep the temperature down

 

[mandabow]

eep sorry keep edinting to add.. but won't let me anymore, anyhow, if you do add a sunshade or sommet, best to do when it's dark so that the next day bees can orientate to it.. if you just shove it up midday will confuse those already out

 

[Firegazer]

Thanks for the advice.

I'm surprised they are getting so warm: the hive isn't in sun, it's only 20 C or less and shaded; the bees have a full brood box, then a queen excluder, then a mainly empty brood box on top with undrawn foundation (so mainly space at the moment).

Maybe I need to open their entrance up more? It's current about 10 cm by 1 cm . . .

FG

 

[Gardenbees]

If it's really dry where you are, possibly they are experiencing a dearth of nectar despite the flowers... in which case your theory about them watering down stores might be correct. My guess would be that they are trying to keep cool, though.

 

[Poly Hive]

The entrance width shouldn't be an issue as the floor is ventilated.

Personally I never reduce the entrance.

With flowers as they are my bees are not collecting water at all, or at least not from the cattle trough which is the nearest supply and suitably dirty.

PH

 

[MrB]

Mine are using next doors bird bath!!
Although it just appears to be the exmoor girls

 

[Firegazer]

Both colonies seem full of stores, but the weather here has been very dry for ages, so you could be right - flowers, yes but nectar no.

FG

 

[Gardenbees]

Oops, just realised that you're in Gloucestershire too. Not long to wait for rain (so we're told: previous rain forecasts have "dried up" the day before, so I'm not holding my breath).

My garden is dusty dry. My bees are now ignoring tempting dandelions and Alliums, and concentrating on the holly bush, which, being more or less a tree in size, perhaps has access to a bit more moisture.

 

[Silly Bee]

Mine are using a tray of onion seedlings (Bedfordshire Champion, though I doubt if the variety counts for much, )

 

[Dishmop]

If they have a lot of stores.. just think of the amount of heat that the honey contains which it has absorbed from the hive....... it isnt going to cool down too quickly....