Water station

[Monsieur Abeille]

Does anyone use entrance feeders for water? If not, why not?

 

[Rosti]

Mine is remote (a 12L poultry feeder). I read somewhere that you should not put a water feeder within 3m of the entrance to any hive because bees will ignore that source for fear it is contaminated by defication. Not sure about a source inside a hive though. Mine also has some salt added since the same article said they go for slightly brackish water by choice - mineral content? R

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mine is a medium size plastic tub (the sort that comes in different sizes/colours from garden centres etc) filled to overhanging with moss and topped up with water if it doesn't rain. I've put this about a metre from the hives but to one side away from flight path. They use it happily.

 

[victor meldrew]

My apiary has a babbling brook which meanders along the way giving easy access to water on the eddy side of the bends !! Simples!!

John Wilkinson

 

[Finman]

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In the arid country like UK, everyone should have waterpools for bees.

 

[Erichalfbee]

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In the arid country like UK, everyone should have waterpools for bees.

It's a way for the hobbyist to play with the bees without opening the box. We plant flowers for them as well

 

[oliver90owner]

The water source for some of the bees is a very dilute sugar solution (probably weaker than Skyhook's Dad's bee book of the 1930s).

Of course it has to be the Dartington, so an entrance feeder is acually within the hive entrance - just tucked under the front 'sealing dummy' (while there is still space, as I added another frame of foundation at the front of the broodnest yesterday).

I have just looked at another with an entrance feeder (with very dilute sugar solution) and I see that is empty, So I expect the dartington will be depleted too.

I am more convinced than ever that it is just a continuous supply of water they need, not the sugar, for the boost in spring development. After all there are copious amounts of honey still in the hives. Them using water to dilute it, for larval food, will allow more space to be freed-up for brooding, too.

The rest make their own arrangents for water collection - a shallow plastic tray filled near to brimming with water and soggy woodshavings is presently a favourite. The sources are about ten metres from the hives.

Regards, RAB

 

[oliver90owner]

In the arid country like UK, everyone should have waterpools for bees.

Suitable sources help to keep them away from neighbouring gardens, thus not being seen as much by them or even causing an unecessary nuisance.

Common sense really, if in an urban area. My out apairies have a river close by.

RAB

 

[Dishmop]

Does anyone use entrance feeders for water? If not, why not?

I do but it sits next to the hive on a brick...

 

[fox403]

Funny u should mention that rosti I came home from the beach one day (paddling with my trainers on) and was 20+ bees drinking from my laces

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk

 

[Tim1606]

One of our apiaries backs onto a sewage works, so i guess they may get there water from there. At least i know it is topped up daily

Can't say i can taste it in our honey though. No one has complained yet anyway.

 

[Dishmop]

Over the last few days of warm weather I have been suprised how much water the bees are using... In fact I wondered if it was even possible. Nearly 1 litre a day from an entrance feeder next to the hive.......and there never seemd to be more than three bees on the feeder at any one time....so I wondered if the feeder was seeping water somehow.
Last night I brought the feeder inside...filled it up and stood it in a bowl.. This morning there had been no leakage.......
This might sound silly but I wonder if the downdraft from the bees flying low over the feeder is displacing the water?????????????

Observation hive had some syrup in a feeder and they hardly used any of it in 3 days, so yesterday I replaced the syrup with water..........they have taken more water in 12 hours than they did syrup in 3 days.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I guess that one issue may be, contrary to Finmans witty remark, that we have (in this part of the country anyway) had next to no rain over the past few weeks. Normal puddles etc just not about.

 

[For want of a better word]

Funny u should mention that rosti I came home from the beach one day (paddling with my trainers on) and was 20+ bees drinking from my laces

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk

must bee CEEBEEBEEIES !!

( I watch too much cildrens TV !)

 

[Dishmop]

also an observation of my observation hive shows that in the last 2 weeks they have used up all thier overwintered stores and are now laying in new stuff..

 

[margob99]

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In the arid country like UK, everyone should have waterpools for bees.

pmsl

Well, at least the humour's dry

 

[Finman]

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We have here half metre snow and -5C.

Yesterday it was snow and storm and 70 cars were in one chain collision.

 

[Finman]

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Actually i keep water stations because of cold weather.

I have glass plates over the water source that morning sun heats the water.
I keep there 10 litre bottle where is a hole on side. Bottle takes air bubble and release water to sphagnum moss.

I feed pollen patty and bees need badly water to eate it. Cold weather hinders water loading.
I noticed that if there is no sun, they do not come out to get water.

 

[Heather]

About 30' from any hive- next to a south facing back wall I have a bowl with a flower arranging oasis in- that soaks up the water so bees take from it- but dont drown -usually about 30 bees there at any one time

 

[MJBee]

I use the same system as Heather but mine is between the two rows of hives, so between 4 and 10 feet from the hives. No fighting or soiling noted but have to regularly clear it of blown dead leaves.