Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: annette on July 06, 2011, 12:53:32 am

Title: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: annette on July 06, 2011, 12:53:32 am: I have 1 hive in a women's garden a few miles from my house. She is more residential than my other hives so I wanted to make sure the bees would gather water from a soaker hose I placed about 20 feet from the hive, and not from a neighbor's pool, etc.

Well even with all the very hot weather we have had, I did not see the bees on that soaker hose.

I followed the suggestions of members here on this forum, and sprayed that soaker hose with sugar syrup and lemongrass oil 3 times this past week. Well today I went over to visit this hive and sure enough, that soaker hose was covered with bees drinking water.

I will keep checking to see if they remain on that hose.

Just wanted to share
Annette
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: jaseemtp on July 06, 2011, 07:55:16 pm: Thank you for sharing that info, I have been having trouble with a neighboor and his pool. I know there were honey bees here before I started keeping them but all they see is that im keeping bees so every bee around MUST be mine. lol
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: annette on July 29, 2011, 12:28:22 am: I wanted to give an update on this. Went to visit this hive yesterday and not one bee on the soaker hose even though we are so, so hot. Well they found something else they like better.

I will try again and see if I can get them over to the soaker hose.

One thing- there is a running creek about 300 feet from the hive, so possible they are at the creek. I truly hope they are. Guess if no neighbors complain, then all is well.
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: BoBn on July 29, 2011, 08:52:57 am: Bees like moss. I built a bee water station in a shady spot.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2-qI3sE04bs/TegSaCibH_I/AAAAAAAAAJo/PAuPh7rkFhw/s800/100_2659.JPG) (https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2-qI3sE04bs/TegSaCibH_I/AAAAAAAAAJo/PAuPh7rkFhw/s800/100_2659.JPG)

There are always bees there during the day even on drizzly wet days. On warm days, there are 100s of bees all over these stones.

Most of the bees collecting water are old bees with tattered wings. They usually sit for 10 - 15 minutes. It is also popular with many other bees and insects. The water is rain water.

I sunk a 12" section of the bottom of a plastic drum in the ground for a reservoir. A pump sits in the water on top of a brick. An upside down plastic milk crate supports the stones.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zAgefrS1_vc/TeLU09UJdPI/AAAAAAAAAI8/xTcaRbEEWso/s800/100_2637.JPG
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: FRAMEshift on July 29, 2011, 10:16:19 am: One of our beeyards is close to a year-round creek. We found the spot where many of the bees get water. They land on the sand along the edge of the creek. They sip water from the wet sand so they don't get close to the deep water where they might drown.
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: VolunteerK9 on July 29, 2011, 12:10:26 pm: Quote from: FRAMEshift on July 29, 2011, 10:16:19 am
One of our beeyards is close to a year-round creek. We found the spot where many of the bees get water. They land on the sand along the edge of the creek. They sip water from the wet sand so they don't get close to the deep water where they might drown.

And now the creek bank is littered with little tiny beach towels and empty suncreen bottles :)
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: FRAMEshift on July 29, 2011, 12:27:36 pm: Quote from: VolunteerK9 on July 29, 2011, 12:10:26 pm
And now the creek bank is littered with little tiny beach towels and empty suncreen bottles :)

Quote from: BoBn on July 29, 2011, 08:52:57 am
They usually sit for 10 - 15 minutes. It is also popular with many other bees and insects.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking when I read BoBn's post. Hey, it's summertime, the dearth is on, and everyone needs to take a break. :-D
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: L Daxon on July 29, 2011, 02:29:03 pm: Last night at our monthly bee meeting a guy did a video presentation on using a real fine mister set up at the side of his hive to provide water for his bees. The mist, and he stressed using a micro mister, left very fine water droplets on the landing board and side of the hive and the girls seemed to love it. He only has the mister on for an hour or two a day--don't need to run it all day. Guess you could put it on a timer. He said you can get the mister at Ace for about $15. (Lowes and Home Dept. have'em but they charge around $20).
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: BlueBee on July 29, 2011, 04:13:34 pm: I like the mister idea. It probably also cools the hive bodies a little due to evaporative cooling as an added bonus.

My simple 1 gph dripper into a flat of peat has worked so well for me that I’ve decided to stop experimenting on other watering systems. Even during rainstorms here, they come to my the little peat bog. I just wish my setup looked as nice at BoBn’s!

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j365/MichiganBee/Bee%20Equipement/BeesInPeatMoss.jpg)
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: annette on July 30, 2011, 12:58:56 am: Great suggestions guys. I am not sure what I will do. The hive is mostly rural setting, with only 1 house close by. I could check with the neighbors and see if they are being harassed by bees. If not, then I can just forget it.

Thanks
Annette
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: PeeVee on July 30, 2011, 07:37:37 am: We have a small stream that is run off from springs but I seldom see bees there. We do have a couple ponds on the farm. We did have a blue solar cover n the pool and bees were always on it. That was replaced with a "clear" solar cover and seldom see bees on it. I'm thinking they liked the blue. If there were not the other water sources, I would make one with something blue just to try out the theory.
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: annette on July 30, 2011, 03:05:24 pm: I do like the idea of the peat into a large bowl or something. I think I will try this method first.

Actually I see you are using a flat for plants. I don't see the drip hose in there. Is it buried??
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: BlueBee on July 30, 2011, 08:14:59 pm: Annette, the 1 gallon per hour dripper is at the end of the little black hose that is between the rocks on the photo above. It the cylinderal black thing, about 3/4" diameter. The dripper drips onto the middle rock and then it runs down into the peat. 95% of the bees prefer to suck water out of the peat rather than land on the rock to get their water.

I got the drippers at ACE, but there are lots of other places that sell them. They have a barb that you push into that skinny black hose. I think I got the hose from Walmart. Finally there is an adaptor that screwed onto a garden hose that the skinny black hose slides over. You could also just plumb the thing into an irrigation system if you have that.

Yeah, my design Rev E01, is just an old plant flat; petunias I believe :) Functional but ugly! The next design will look nicer when I get around to it; maybe next year.
Title: Re: I was able to lure my bees to a water source
Post by: annette on August 01, 2011, 06:48:47 pm: Thanks, I already have the soaker hose, just have to lay it on top of the peat moss. Will set up tomorrow.

Annette