water

[peteinwilts]

Hi Guys

One of the possible sites I can house a hive is next to a stream.

The stream sometimes floods in winter (or during the summer monsoons!), but cannot flood any more than a few inches over the bank due to the lay of the land.

I can easily build a small stage out of any possible flood water.

Do bees have an aversion to water??

The site for my first hive will be many hundred yards from a water source other than ditches that dry regularly.
Does anyone provide water for their bees to save on flying time or is it fraught with problems?

Cheers
Pete

 

[BKF Admin]

I know of a few beekeepers who leave something out for the bees to collect water from using a piece of twig or wood as a bridge as they can fall in and drown.

I dont bother myself.

 

[hedgerow pete]

the words flood and bee keeper are never a good mix make sure you stand is fixed into the ground by a couple of foot at least flood water will lift paving slabs up it will also heave them lop sided which in turn will fall the hive over, as for a water source yes you can set something up a big bucket with bigstones in it so the ladies can walk to the bottom to collect and return is simple enough and ever time you pop up just refill it, most hive bees collect water from dew and streams buckets, water barrels, road gullies, drains, so they dont normaly run sort

 

[gavin]

There were some rather sad tales last year of submerged and floating hives, so be careful. One advantage of your streamside location might be that any trees nearby (sycamore, lime, cherry, chestnut) might secrete nectar in a dry spell when others have gone dry.

all the best

Gavin

 

[shonabee]

I too have mine at the top of a river bank, but on a fairly tall stand, erring very much on the side of caution! I've tried to make the stand with as little resistance to water as possible, so IF it should ever get up that high then the water will be able to flow through the stand, rather than the current hitting it and water going round it, which would make it less stable (there's never much of a current anyway as it is very flat around me). I've also put fencing posts in beside it and attached the stand to these.
I should add that the bottom of the hive is actually above the level of our house (which has never flooded) so if the worst comes to the worst, I'll just move in with the bees.
The downside is the hive is higher up than ideal, making lifting supers on/off slightly trickier.
I've seen people with old washing-up bowls filled with gravel with water over it: so the bees can stand on the stones to drink if they need to.

 

[planbee]

Mine have a washing up bowl arrangement - but not an "old" one.

I treated them to a new one from Wilko's, and then gave it a good swill out with hot water and no soap.

John