Hot tub honey?

[sandysman]

At the risk of inviting some ribald comments from the usual suspects, I ask this question in the spirit of good neighbour/ honey bee relations.

A neighbour of mine has recently installed a hot tub in his garden. The tub, like most I expect, is covered most of the time but because the water below is warm and the outside temperature is cold, the cover has droplets of dew/condensation. This I believe attracts the bees to drink in groups of up to 20 (he informs me) from the cover of the tub. My neighbour thinks it might be one of the chemicals he is using that is attracting them, I think it is the condensation. Any thoughts?

He's not complaining but I did promise him I would ask. And no. I haven't asked him how he knows they are my bees!

Thanks in anticipation.

Andy

 

[moor141]

There was simular post a while back regarding bees and hot tubs. Someone that can work the system better than me will probably find it.

 

[oliver90owner]

Ask yourself this simple question: If you were a bee would you choose to collect water from a near-freezing supply or a warm one? Your answer to that should enlighten you.

 

[sandysman]

I agree, but in the spirit of neighbourliness I promised I would ask!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chickenlicken]

I have no idea about hot tubs, however some people in the us leave salt licks out for their bees. Possibly they get some sort of salt from the water?
Clint

 

[CB008]

I have a hot tub and the bees are attracted to it and once they find it simply keep coming back. They have ponds closer but prefer heavily chemicalled water - quite why who knows!

 

[MandF]

I recall similar threads recently - it seems to be the content of the water, NOT the temperature, that attracts them.

 

[RoofTops]

Fill a tray with some gravel and perhaps a bit of peat. Have the level of the gravel just above the lip of the tray so when it rains and fills the tray the stones are still there for the bees to sit on and collect water. Put the tray near the bees (10 - 15 feet) not right under a hive.

I suspect you neighbour may not be complaining now about the bees but it may only be a matter of time, especially if he uses the tub more in the summer.

 

[TJSnapper]

We have a bird bath full of moss that attracts the bees, sadly not all of them as I have to fish a large number of them out of the swimming pool every day, fortunately there is usually someone on hand to do this so the losses are not too great, probably only four or five a day from 6 colonies, but it's still upsetting, so we keep the cover on the pool as much as possible so that the bees can drink from that.

 

[Swarm]

My little dog peed on a bare area on the lawn. Later he was having a go at something on the same spot, a bee. No other reason to be there than collecting water I suppose.

 

[Snail368]

I was experiencing a similar problem this spring. When my bees started collecting water (condensation) from the cover of our neighbour's hot tub. Which they weren't too pleased about. I tried several ideas without success. The idea that worked was that my neighbour's simply put some essential oil/scented candle by the hot tub - bees scarpered.

So there is a solution to this problem.

Obviously bees also need a 'approved' drinking source, and I've found that hessian sacking (sand bags are cheap from a builders merchant) used as the edging of a pond or covering a plant saucer, enable the bees to sip water from the sacking, which wicks the water up from the pond/saucer.

Hopefully others will find these ideas to be helpful.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have no idea about hot tubs, however some people in the us leave salt licks out for their bees. Possibly they get some sort of salt from the water?
Clint

.

So there is a solution to this problem.

Yes, tell your neighbour to get out of the tub to go for a pee - like what us refeined people do!