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Author Topic: Water source  (Read 3623 times)

Offline beryfarmer

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Water source
« on: March 21, 2009, 09:37:30 am »
I have a neighbors pool close by (50 ft?).  I know I should provide an alternative water source.  ANy ideas?  Some thoughts and questions:

1)What works best:
       a. Bird bath (with small rocks)
       b.entance feeder
       c. division board feeder (would this even work?)
       d. any old puddle of mud
       e. whiskey barrel full of plants and mosquitoes
       f. dog bowl

Ideas I have are a bird feeder (blue if possible set up about 15 ft in front of hive between hive and pool.

New hive so dont know how much problem this will be.

The issue is trying and keeping the water replenshed during the summer.

My hope is that if the hive is used to the bird bath for 6 weeks before pool opens up then i should have little problems.

ANy thought??
I am intrigued regarding the internal feeder idea but i dont think it will work.  I imagine they are more thirsty on the outside than in.

I also heard that bees might like the smell of bleach and but a bit of bleach in the water- i dont this is a good idea.

Any advice would be appreciated

Offline Pi

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Re: Water source
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2009, 10:39:53 pm »
I have a shallow pan about 14" across.  I got it at Home Depot, and it's used to put flower pots on as a water retainer. 
Anyway, I fill it full of gravel and put a hose in it and somehow adjust it to drip about 10 drops a minute.  The bees can crawl on the gravel, get water, and now drown.
Also, I put it about 100' from the hives.  I had it close in, and they ignored it.
I don't use tap water, but I use water from a gutter rain barrel.  I'm sure any water will do.
If you can get the pan to overflow onto some flat rocks, you might get some moss to grow and the bees love that.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Water source
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2009, 07:09:04 am »
I have two five gallon buckets full of about 16" long or so sticks and filled with water.  Once a week or so I dump out the water and refill them to get rid of the mosquito larvae.
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Offline Keith13

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Re: Water source
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2009, 08:30:37 am »
your bees will be attacted to the scent of your neighbors pool. Maybe you can scent your water with lemongrass oil, I believe that is what most of the people on the forum use to scent water. Once they get used to your supply they become pretty habitual

Keith

Offline doak

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Re: Water source
« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2009, 01:40:39 pm »
I use the top shelf tray that is over the two bottom pull out pans in the bottom of the fridge.
turn it over and fill with pea gravel, then fill with water. When it rains, that's good :roll:
Any pan a few inches deep will do the job.
I wash the pea gravel first. The bees are going to feed on any catch water around, if it is left.
Which isn't the case around my place. Mosquito's. :)doak

Offline rdy-b

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Re: Water source
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2009, 10:23:13 pm »

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: Water source
« Reply #6 on: March 27, 2009, 10:38:51 pm »
I use a red and white chicken waterer. But, From the forum here, I learned not to let it stay empty cuz the bees will get into it and get stuck.Other than that, it works great! Its about 20 to 30 feet out front of my hives and they all use it regularly. When it gets really hot I have to fill it about every 4 or 5 days! Its unbelievable how much water the bees use!...Also, My waterer sits atop a milk crate.
your friend,
john

Offline toolmaster

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Re: Water source
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2009, 10:38:17 am »
Howdy,
You could just get any 5 gallon paint bucket, drills holes about 2-3 inches from the top fill it up and put in some packing peanuts. The peanuts give them something to land on and the holes keep it from over flowing in the rain. Oh just make sure the bucket never really had any paint or other chemicals in it.

Toolmaster

Offline beefun

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Re: Water source
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2009, 08:24:31 am »
use an entrance (boardman feeder)  just put water in the jar not sugar or you will have robbing they need water it sits on the entrance works good for
wishing all of you  better tomorrows and better bee keeping

Offline KD4MOJ

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Re: Water source
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2009, 08:47:45 am »
I have a neighbors pool close by (50 ft?).  I know I should provide an alternative water source.  ANy ideas?  Some thoughts and questions:

1)What works best:
       a. Bird bath (with small rocks)
       b.entance feeder

Beryf I use both of the above. I have the same situation. My neighbors pool is about 30ft from my hives(2). I use the boardman feeders filled with water and have 3 birdbaths in the yard. One close, then two further away in their flight path. I attracted them to the birdbaths with some honey to the new water source. After several days, they are all over the BB's and have now they have abandoned the pool next door. usually if the floats are removed from the pool when not in use and the water level is over ladder steps (usually in the deep end), this pretty much eliminates areas that the bees can congregate in the pool for water.

  Oh yeah... for some reason they love my cat's water bowls... don't mind as long as they stay away from the pool!

...DOUG

Offline MustbeeNuts

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Re: Water source
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2009, 08:56:07 am »
I use an old satelite dish , filled it with peat and added water till its wet thru. The bees like it, they can walk around on it and still get water from a sponge. Its about 20 feet or less from the hives, It hold water for a week or more then just add more with the hose. It was free and easy to make, dug a hole for the dish. plugged the bolt holes ,
Each new day brings decisions,  these are  new branches on the tree of life.