# Bees prefer slightly salty water 1.5% w/w



## Katy Busy Bee (10 mo ago)

https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/219/6/790/16697/Salt-preferences-of-honey-bee-water-foragers


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## AVoit (9 mo ago)

Katy Busy Bee said:


> https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/219/6/790/16697/Salt-preferences-of-honey-bee-water-foragers


That is a fact! ...and not only sodium (salt), but also potassium, magnesium and calcium. Years ago I read about an elaborate experiment where an apiary was used to test the bees preferences for many water mineralized solutions. I tried a brief search to find it again but did not. However I did find this study:









Honey bee (Apis mellifera) preference towards micronutrients and their impact on bee colonies


Honey bees are important pollinators and take micronutrients from different natural floral resources and turbid water to adequately meet their nutritional requirements. But the role of micronutrients for honey bee health is not well understood. Here, ...




www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov





I originally discovered this fact by witnessing hundreds of my bees drinking from the moisture trapped in our front door-mat because it was full of salt that I had used for de-icing.

I now make a minerilized water solution that I put on my deck in the spring. They use it extensively.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

I dont have to mix anything up for my bees. The puddles in the horse paddock takes care of that!


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