I have hives in a community garden (really don't like them there) and was advised I need to place jars of water at every hive. What I would like to do is place a five gallon bucket with holes in the rim and the top placed on upside down in front of them. Has anyone ever heard of the water being placed at the hive as a water source? Thanks
Yes. A close water source can help keep them out of birdbaths, swimming pools, pet watering bowls.
I would have a tendency to secure the bucket well so that nobody uses it to water their veges not realizing what it's for. Maybe even put a sign on it to indicate it's purpose.
I've never seen them show any interest in water that was right next to the hive. 100 yards away they are pretty interested...
Quote from: Michael Bush on June 14, 2015, 07:24:54 PM
I've never seen them show any interest in water that was right next to the hive. 100 yards away they are pretty interested...
This. I have several water sources mear inches to feet away.. and they still fly all the way across the yard to the pool. Maybe its the salt..
They like the bird bath; the back side of the laid down basketball backboard; any bucket that gets left out in the rain - especially if it has refuse in it; overturned black plastic plant pot rims - especially a stack of them. Flower pot drip holes - the plastic trays under potted flower trays. Just about any drop of standing rain water, rather than the 5 gallon dog water dish with lava rock that I keep full for them.
They found a bucket of leaves filled with rain water about 15' from the hives. The loved IT."My" waterer is right next to it, but they just don't seem to care for it (yet), even though I'm now eliminating all the mosquito breeding pools I can find (like the bucket of leaves).
The best thing I've found is a timed drip line to the bird bath, to keep it topped up. (The birds like it, too). The bees chose it, and I just modified it to keep it wet. My experience is that you can waste time trying to provide water for bees, or let them decide, & then roll with that. I suspect they have a number of other favorite spots around the neighborhood.
Of all the things I've seen, I suspect making a trickle down a stack of black plastic plant pots might work. Or not.
How to make water appealing:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeswater.htm
They prefer dirty water to clean water - friend of mine recycles the water from his hen house to a trough for the bees and gives fresh water to the hens. Mine use both the swimming pool and our small muddy dam
Between the creek that runs about 25' from my hives and my pond that is about 100 yards away from my hives they don't seem to have a lack of water issue.