Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Moots on January 23, 2013, 10:20:42 pm

Title: Water logged bees???
Post by: Moots on January 23, 2013, 10:20:42 pm
Ok,
Newbie question...Checked on my bees at lunch, everything looked good, plenty of activity and hitting the sugar water feeder heavy.  However, noticed I had a couple of bees in my water barrel that looked dead, definitely wet, but floating on a piece of partially submerged wood (more out the water than in).  I went to fish her out to a different piece of wood and noticed she was still alive but seemed all wet and out of it!

Observed the same with another after work, so I fished her out and tried to capture the "look" on video. 
Water Logged Bee! (http://s1311.beta.photobucket.com/user/jeffrobert41183/media/Bees/7705CB83-37CD-4BA5-98D0-EB034EA863AE-1382-000000AC54A8B335.mp4.html)
So, have only seen this with 2 or 3 bees.  But I'm wondering, is there something else going on here (i.e. sick bees?) Or is this simple the way a bee goes about drowning, or dying  on occasion?
Title: Re: Water logged bees???
Post by: Lone on January 23, 2013, 10:25:31 pm
I think some bees just think they are ducks before they realise they can't swim.

Lone
Title: Re: Water logged bees???
Post by: BeeMaster2 on January 23, 2013, 10:42:30 pm
You probably have thousands of bees using that feeder, some are going to mess up and fall in. They might be the youngest field bees or the oldest. I would not worry about it. You might use some more floating material. Old timers used to use grass in the bowl of sugar water under the skep. They might just be being knocked into it by other bees landing or taking off. If the water is cold it will prevent them from functioning properly.
Jim
Title: Re: Water logged bees???
Post by: blanc on January 23, 2013, 11:06:00 pm
I was fishing them out of my pool in the summer so they just think they can swim. :-D Looking forward to meeting you soon at one of those monthly meetings Moot.
Title: Re: Water logged bees???
Post by: bailey on January 23, 2013, 11:15:25 pm
More floating landing space.  But expect a certain amount to wind up on the bottom unless you find something
To cover like a mat.
It's worse when there is a wind blowing.  More wind up missing the landings.
Bailey
Title: Re: Water logged bees???
Post by: Moots on January 24, 2013, 12:13:34 am
Figured it was normal...just wanted to verify.  Thanks to everyone for the responses!  :)