Sea Water

[Bee Bob Delux]

I read somewhere a while ago bees like seawater or would take seawater....

We're off to the coast tomorrow, so should I bring a gallon or two back or is it a waste of time?

They have found a smelly old bucket full of rainwater & wood they really like at the moment next to the Apiary. I thought of changing its contents to something more appealing....well from a human perspective that is!

 

[thenovice]

I do not know if they like seawater but I did not see many bees on the beach last time I was there...

 

[Finman]

.
Bees need water in these days to make food juice to larvae. It is very fact, that no patty recipe has salt included. Worker larva's weight grows 1000 times in 5 day feeding.


It is vain job.

Bees' habit to drink wee is over advertised. If you see 5 wee bees, there are 1000 bees taking water from soil and from plant leaves.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There is a 'belief' that bees are attracted to the salts in the water but spoke to a young lady whilst out in South Africa last year (daughter of my cousin's millionaire friends) and she studied just that for her Master's (but then we know what that is worth) and they found no evidence that the bees took any salts or preffered it to any other water.

 

[For want of a better word]

When in Malaysia butterfly collecting... it was usual practice to do a Jimmy Riddle on a path or open area to attract in the butterflies, I can not say I ever saw any honey bees supping up the recycled 7 UP !


Yeghes da

 

[midnight sun]

There is a 'belief' that bees are attracted to the salts in the water but spoke to a young lady whilst out in South Africa last year (daughter of my cousin's millionaire friends) and she studied just that for her Master's (but then we know what that is worth) and they found no evidence that the bees took any salts or preffered it to any other water.

That's interesting, as The Fat Beeman, used to put salt licks out for his bees if I remember from one of his video's. At least I won't be wasting a couple of quid now knowing that. I tried the salt lick block last year thinking that I was giving them what they needed, but I only ever found a couple of dead bees on the block and never saw any actually 'using' the block as a source.

 

[REDWOOD]

I can't remember who said it but he often seen bees on his cattle lick blocks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I can't remember who said it but he often seen bees on his cattle lick blocks.

but a lot of the blocks have molasses and other goodies in as well

 

[Finman]

Going better.... Licking stones.

Honey bees nutrition has been reseached in laboratories 40 years and no one mention salt in reports.

 

[Finman]

but a lot of the blocks have molasses and other goodies in as well

I have seen those and there is no bees or other insects on them.

 

[Finman]

but a lot of the blocks have molasses and other goodies in as well

I have seen those and there is no bees or other insects on them.
"somebody told".

Those stones are in every cattle farm houses, and no one has told that those invite any insects.

 

[user 6228]

warm water is what they go for

 

[Karol]

Will honeybees like distilled water or does it have to be dirty?

 

[maddydog]

Beek I know adds sea salt to the spring and autumn syrup, swears by it. I'll not be bothering.

 

[Bee Bob Delux]

Will honeybees like distilled water or does it have to be dirty?

Mine seem to like green fur growing in it, looks like seaweed.... although they are taking it from the soggy wood sat in it, so that may be filtering it in some way... have left tap water out but they ignore that!

 

[bontbee]

Mine seem to like green fur growing in it, looks like seaweed.... although they are taking it from the soggy wood sat in it, so that may be filtering it in some way... have left tap water out but they ignore that!

Ditto - When the sun's out, the small amounts of water soaking into the soggy, dark wood is very much warmer than the pool it's sitting in. My bees definitely prefer to suck it out of the wood....

 

[Finman]

Will honeybees like distilled water or does it have to be dirty?

There is no distilled water in nature.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Will honeybees like distilled water or does it have to be dirty?

Don't know - i do know that I prefer the distilled stuff though

 

[Karol]

Tap water is chlorinated/fluorinated and it takes a while for these halogens to dissipate. I just wondered if that might be the reason they avoid tap water.

Rain is a pretty good approximation to distilled water. Guttation is pretty close to RO water but carries risks.

 

[alldigging]

I do not know if they like seawater but I did not see many bees on the beach last time I was there...

You must have missed them
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/489117/Bees-swarm-into-beach-tent