# Top bars need less water than langs?



## Steve56Ace (Sep 5, 2014)

First I've every heard that question. I haven't followed them back from water to see TBH or Lang which I have together. Water is key for broad production so maybe something like that? And bees will go to where they tell each other to forage. IS it possible the water source the TBH girls are gathering farther than makes sense to us?


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

They probably found some animal dung somehwere with water seeping out of it, which they much prefer to your nice clean stuff.


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## Overseas_Beekeeper (Jul 19, 2016)

Yep, I agree with Oldtimer. They probably need more minerals, bacteria or warmer water with better pH  I gotta say, that bees know how to roll for the millions of years, but we humans, don't get them often enough


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## Steve56Ace (Sep 5, 2014)

Overseas_Beekeeper said:


> Yep, I agree with Oldtimer. They probably need more minerals, bacteria or warmer water with better pH  I gotta say, that bees know how to roll for the millions of years, but we humans, don't get them often enough


I agree too. The girls love the stinky water source. I just did an automated bee watering station and put rotting Foxtail Palm seeds in from their troth and added some orange juice and honey. We're dry now so yes they took right to it.


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## Nordak (Jun 17, 2016)

Add some salt and they'll go nuts.


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## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

It's time for the OP to do some Beelining and find that feral hive.


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## Cabin (Nov 30, 2014)

trishbookworm said:


> Anyone in a position to see their bees collect water with TBH? I have a water dish (dog bowls with rocks) within 10 ft of each of my 4 hives. All the bees leaving the dishes are going towards a feral hive location east of me... not to any of the hives I have! Pretty amusing to watch those girls tank up and then rocket OUT of my apiary!
> 
> Last year I had a Lang, and the bees needed water every hot day. There isn't a stream or rocky-edged pond nearby; we are kind of at the top of a hill.


 Different shape hives may be more of the issue. Langs are tall, heat and moister rise. As for the water dishes. My bees do not seem to notice anything I place that close to the hive but then I have two swamps within 300 yards of the hives. I liked one idea I read about using wet moss rather than open water.


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## trishbookworm (Jun 25, 2016)

Yes, these bees desperation for water has shown me where the hive direction is for sure! Now to triangulate it with a rocky water container on the other side of the yard...


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Have a yard-pond and the bees use it all the time. It has a waterfall feature so I put rocks under the falls. They stay moist and the bees use them a lot. There are always a few dozen bees on the rocks. My other yard is bone-dry so I got a smaller pond for the neighbors to keep filled and they happily do it. They have a two acre yard that's mostly flowers and they want to believe all my honey is coming from their yard so I let them believe what they want. Plus I give them some honey for their troubles. Water is important or the bees find a swimming pool,become a nuisance, then the lawyers come with court papers.


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