Feeding Salt

[JWF]

I have a water source in my garden, specifically for the bees, but they prefer to go into the kitchen drain and drink from there! God knows why they seem to prefer the water from the drain, into which our washing machine and dishwasher drain away into, as well as the kitchen sink.

The noise of buzzing bees down under the grating sounds as busy as the hive!

I have exactly the same thing in my garden. The drain is always popular, as is a manky bit of water with compost in it.

The pond seems least favourite.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

I recall seeing two identical containers of water made accessible for bees. Each contained rainwater, but one had salt added and the other was plain rainwater. The bees showed a clear preference for the one containing salt.

 

[Psycad]

Salaam

Thanks to all for feedback

Looks like majority of you seems to have positive experience with minerals in water.
Since all water here is treated seawater without much minerals or salt, I willl try to make a watersource and add salt.
Tap leaking in gravel bed with salt or something.
Mineral licks for camels are readily available here so no probs.

See if the ladies like it

 

[Psycad]

Update

Bees completely ignore the mineralized water and ditto for the salt lick I placed next to the hive

They drink from the water I am keeping in tins to keep ants out of the hive

Go figure.

 

[colinc]

I have a water source in my garden, specifically for the bees, but they prefer to go into the kitchen drain and drink from there! God knows why they seem to prefer the water from the drain, into which our washing machine and dishwasher drain away into, as well as the kitchen sink.

The noise of buzzing bees down under the grating sounds as busy as the hive!

+1 for the drain from kitchen sink and dishwasher. Closely followed by a stagnant mossy non draining plant container (left for the bees) the regularly topped up birdbath (rainwater from butts not tap water) is in last place.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[birdsandbees]

mine at home go for the large upturned plastic lid with pebbles in it next to the pond, its got red algae in it but they seem to prefer that over the drain which is second choice.
I had a call out to a possible swarm or colony the other day next to a Hot Tub. It seems that it was just a nice warm water source favoured by the local colony/s, the chlorine smell was very strong but on observing them it was the condensation dripping from the cover onto the side that they were after not the water from the tub.
maybe they suffer with sensitive teeth