Mighty strange beehavior

[Dallasbeek]

Today I was watching bees in the bird bath and saw two struggling in the water.  I pushed them to the side, they got onto solid concrete, but continued struggling and went back into the water.  Finally, one quit struggling and floated upside down.  The survivor climbed onto a rock and I wondered if the dead critter really was a bee or some other kind of insect.  I fished it out, turned it over and, yep it looked just like the bees in my hives.  Do you think bees are territorial about their source of water, or just what was going on here?  I've observed two bees struggling in the water before and thought it was curious, but this definitely appeared to be a fight.  Any explanation?

[Santa Caras]

Well, being born/raised in Wichita Falls, I know just how dry it can get there. Are you providing them any water or do they have access to other water? I dont know that they are "territorial" when it comes to water...I've heard that they will drive other bees from a nectar source but I havent heard that applied to water. Then again, that is Texas so water may be just more important that nectar! If they're using your bird bath, you can try putting wine corks in there to give em a platform to get water and not drown.

[Dallasbeek]

Yes, I fill the bird bath every night.  It's large and they like getting under large rocks around the edge.  Sometimes they form a ring all around it.  I'm sure bees come my friend's hives two blocks away, but with two water sources in my yard, there's enough for all.  Just very curious beehavior and I wondered if anyone could explain this kind of fight. 

[sc-bee]

Probably a crash landing into the big pond :drowning: and the co-piliot was trying to give the pilot :bee: mouth to mouth. Poor pilot.... sounds as though he did not make it :( Guess the c0-pilot gets a raise to pilot :lau: :-D

[greenbtree]

Well, I did see a documentary about the desert in the southwest once, and it showed a bunch of bees getting water at a seep in the rocks.  A desert bighorn came to get a drink and was attacked by the bees, so maybe they do defend water resources.  Of course those bees on the film were probably AFB, so who knows.

JC

[Dallasbeek]

Probably a crash landing into the big pond :drowning: and the co-piliot was trying to give the pilot :bee: mouth to mouth. Poor pilot.... sounds as though he did not make it :( Guess the c0-pilot gets a raise to pilot :lau: :-D

:drowning: :lau: :lau: :lau:

[BeeMaster2]

I suspect this water source is close to your hive. My bees like to drop their sick/defective bees in water. As I have mentioned several times here, I watched a bee carry a bee about 40' out of the hive, do a 90 degree turn, fly over the length of my pool and drop it in the pool at the far end. I walked over and picked it up. It had DWV.
With 12/15 hives, my pool is always full of bees.
Jim

[biggraham610]

Amazing how a dedicated house cleaner will struggle to get off the ground toting a dead or sick bee to get them away from the hive isnt it. These little creatures cease to amaze. G :chop:

[BeeMaster2]

Even more impressive, I have seen a worker carry a drone off the landing board. They usually only go a few feet but every so often I find full sized drones dropped in my pool.
Jim