Mine too. We have a bird bath they use but they love the old skanky pond down the back even more. Probably why my honey has such good flavours 
Cheers
Rob.
3 Likes
I usually have a bird bath with stones in it- but for much of the year the bees ignore it and go somewhere else. I have noticed they love the bases of pot plants, leaking taps, gutters, etc.
1 Like
A few observations while zoning out on the bees at one of the watering points around the yard.
Now the small ponds have been a constant water supply in the area for over 2 years they are now bee hotspots and have greatly reduced the bees in the swimming pool.
I cannot recall seeing a drone having a drink and had pondered this then I realised the bees arenât actually stopping for a quick smoko they are in fact hard at work still!
As I sat on a stump to congratulate myself after my beepiphany I bee lined a few bees and noticed that not one bee leaving the watering hole was returning to the hives 10 metres away⌠I have read that bees prefer foraging away from the hive a distance for some reason or another and it appears their water duties are in the same boatâŚ
4 Likes
Very interestingâŚhave you ever witnessed any âbar brawlsâ at your watering hole? I noticed some carrying on at mine (itâs a small, but fairly upscale hangout called Evaâs Beestro - not usually known for a rough crowd) but then again it was a bit later in the season.
4 Likes
OMG, what are you guys (@Eva and @skeggley) on? More puns per paragraph than even I try to get away withâŚ
1 Like
the only fight I witnessed at the water hole was between a bee and a wasp. Usually they drink side by side without issue- but someone stepped on someones foot and it was on for young and old. They both fell in and might have drowned if the bouncer (me) wasnât there⌠some bees just canât hanlde their drink.
4 Likes
Hi all. Iâve been trying to get a couple of bee watering options in place for my flow hive, but am having a problem with small black ants. While these are always about the hive, they donât seem to go in, and the bees shoe them out pretty quickly if they do.
But they also are creating problems with any watering solution I try and create - the ants seems to be able to swim/walk over the water surface, and thus are always covering the landing surface I have set up for the bees. Consequently the bees are going further afield. They have a dam about 200m away, but I often see them about the house trying to scout for a good spot too.
Any suggestions? At the moment I have tried re-purposing a pet watering solution with rocks for landing in the middle, and a self water pet bowl with a float valve with rocks in the middle for landing.
Am I correct in interpreting that you have ants in plague proportions???
Is the water youâre providing for your bees chlorinated tap water or rain water?
Canât say Iâve seen ants walk on water. There is usually a (semi)dry path (i.e insufficiently flooded) or other forms of bridging material for them to get across.
Thanks @SnowflakeHoney.
Not plague proportions by any means. But I make islands of landing material for bees, come back later and find plenty of ants on these spaces (enough to discourage the bees from landing there). The islands are just that - surrounded by water, but the ants are getting there somehow.
Iâm thinking about trying the vaseline around the base of the waterer, or a double moat solution.
The bees seem to have found a solution they are happy with for the moment - a tap on the east of the house, away from the prevailing wind and in the shade for most of the afternoon, has a very slow leak.
Look up ant control ideas on this forum and youâll get better and control ideas. Bearing grease will be better than Vaseline in the heat.
Also, the dripping tap will waste more water than the bees will utilise I suspect. Can you channel the drip into a water feature of some sort, with submerged plants and rocks for the bees?
1 Like
Today- where I am - bees will easily be able to outdrink a dripping tap. During this seemingly endless heatwave I have bees drinking enormous volumes from all over the place. I have many watering stations.
One thing: they love a bit of salt. I salt my birdbath with a half a teaspoon a week or so - and the bees are also very fond of run off from my evaporative cooler as it has a high mineral content I assume.
@tm7 have you tried a bucket of water with a towel in/draped over it? I have these on half my hives at the moment and the bees love them. I have ants all around but so far theyâve stayed off my buckets.
4 Likes
The towel looks like a good idea thanks @Semaphore. Iâve set one up for my bees (although they are much further from the ground). Going to be shockingly hot for the next few days in SE NSW.
it will help I am sure. I will probably remove the buckets when temps over 38c finally end- if they ever do! Right now it seems kind of endless.
How do you determine the location for your water? Do you put out a few options and see which ones they like best? Currently i have a frisbie full of rocks and sticks. I might look into one of those automated ones shown earlier in this post.
1 Like
Bees will go anywhere for water. Within 10m of the hive is a good idea. Iâve actually got 7 water sources around my garden (pots with plants and rocks connected to retic so it auto refills) to minimise chances of them going to a neighbourâs pool.
Anecdotally, 2-5m in front of the hive and just off the flight path is a pretty reliable location.
Note that on hot or windy days your frisbee likely wonât hold sufficient water.
1 Like
Thanks for the tips. I will be sure to get a larger water container or possibly a few different ones. There are no pools nearby but my main concern is keeping them out if the dogs water bowl.
If your dog gets stung and swells up they can have normal human antihistamines. From memory dosage will be adjusted by weight.
⌠After being charged a small fortune the vet offered that advice for next time⌠And that was before I even had my own hive!
1 Like
Thanks. Good to know. Our Dog has been stung when she was younger and the whole side of her face swelled up
@Wizard has a lot of pond thoughts⌠although since this is a beekeeping forum⌠the bees will find a way to access the pond water without much assistance.
The muck from your koi pond makes good vegetable garden fertilizerâŚ