We got a half barrel for watering the bees and floated some plastic lids in it but it wasn't much of a hit. We put it about 4 ft from the hive. Somebody told me bees like to fly a ways to a water source and to move it away from the hive. How far away should I move it, or rather how close should it be to hopefully get them to use it? I was going to start a water garden so they could land on some aquatic plants. Next door neighbor had 6 bees in the pool filter the other day. They are concerned for the bees and asked if they do anything to help. Great neighbors!
Curious to hear some answers on this myself. I've just always heard out of the range of the cleanseing area. The problem is if they get an area imprinted in memory it is hard to change sometimes. And of course that area is usually in a neighbors yard :shock:. Usually a pool because of the chlorine. In my situation it was a bird bath and my neighbor said the bees attack her dog. Well the bees were @ the bath and the dog nipped at the bees (bees retaliated). I just moved them away.
Sometimes moving is not an option. Try putting your souce between the neighbors and bait yours w/some sugar water!!!
Good luck!
i flipped over a rubber maid trough and use it for water. the bottom has sections about 3x3x1 inch deep. they like it more than any other thing i have used. it's about 100 ft from my hives.
The dog waterer I use was first used to feed. Just put a gallon of sugar water in the barrel. Then during the night fill it with water.
Mine is about 100 yards away.
Mine like the pond, it's cute to see em on the waterlilies. There are tons of plants & green alge stuff for them to wander around on. Next is the driveway where the granite slurry is..must be some exotic minerals in it :? Jody
I have automatic dog waterer with a leak - they love it. It's about 75 yards from the bees. I rigged the float in the cow tank to slightly overflow the tank - there's a drip down the side (and a mudhole on the ground) they LOVE this too - all this is necessary as my neighbor with a pool in my MOTHER-IN-LAW. :-D Moving trickles attract them. Gena
I have a bird bath every one is there getting water, cats, birds and bees, all getting along nicely.
Cheers,
Patrick
I put an old satelite dish in the ground, dug out a divit for it and then I filled it with peat, added water and let it soak it up, the bees never drown cause its like a giant sponge, I surrounded it with flowers and a few ornamental bricks. Its about 40 feet from the hives, bees love it. And it gets leaves in it too and some pollen from the overhead oak trees, its nasty and wet, just the way the bees like it.
I use a white and red chicken waterer. I put lavarock chunks in the round trough so they dont drown. Its about 12 to 15 feet from my front set of hives. The bees also go up in my front yard to drink out of my pond. They too use the lilly pads to stand on!
your friend,
john
Thanks for all the great ideas. I think the consensus is I need to get it further away and give them something natural to land on. MustBeeNuts I love the dish idea. I noticed that the only bees around my barrel were on the ground sopping up water from drips.