# Attracting bees to a new water source



## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

What is your 'bee-friendly' water source? Have a picture? Some here have suggested some salt in the water to draw the bees.


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## stacyleighpalmer (Feb 19, 2012)

mine had been going to my neighbor's pond for the month after i got them (which was ok with neighbor, and the reason they were put where they are), but sunday they found our pool. there were more than a dozen at any time around the bar at the shallow end steps. i went out and put a five gallon bucket with a piece of styrofoam floating in it about 5-6 feet in front of the hives. within the hour, there were only 1 or 2, here and there. and i didn't notice any yesterday when i was out by the pool.

stacy


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## RobWok (May 18, 2011)

I tried a few things since my neighbor complained about them being in the pool.

The chicken waterers do the best, with pea gravel. However, they are a little pricey. Walmart has some dog waterers that are self feeding, with a blue jug on the top you fill. Let it run, then add gravel until it's right where it needs to be. Lemongrass oil around the entrance may get them started, and I have one that I load up with sea salt, and the bees seem to like that the best. I also put in a cheap black pond I got off craigslist. I took a foam board, made it into 2 doughnuts, then dropped extra screen material on it. The bees can walk on the screen.

2 more things I'm going to do. Rainbarrel. Put a spigot on it, and turn it so it just drips. Then, a section of gutter or maybe a large flat saucer like the type that goes under a 5 gallon flower pot. Fill that with gravel so there is a constant drip from the rainbarrel. A friend just showed me this tray that you put out for your cats in front of a cat litter box. It's tons of little plastic squares. The bees can stand on the square and drink from the middle. Has a tray that keeps the water in it. I like that better than most, and may combine it with the rainbarrel.

Rob
www.mongrelbees.com


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## MrHappy (Feb 10, 2012)

It's funny that I see someone asking this every week.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

I have crows that bring in a bunch of dead critters and float them in the birdbath. The bees crawl across the guts and old peanut shells and love it. The worse it smells the more they go there. It grosses me out (and that takes a lot). I have some old smaller chicken water cans around but do you have to dump the gravel out every time you fill them? I figure I can add some salt if that is what they are looking for (or maybe bacon:banana I also have ponds, drains and standing water.


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## thebead (Oct 8, 2011)

Here's some links to a good free apiculture newsletter from Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, (Eric Mussen)
Lots of good stuff there...
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/facpage.cfm?id=mussen
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/mussen/news.cfm

Specifically Regarding Water, see section titled "Nuisance Beekeeping" in the following newsletter:
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/mussen/NovDec2011.pdf

My solution seems to work well for me:
I cut out a thin ring of 1/2" rigid insulation (styrofoam), the outer diameter of which closely, but freely fits in the bottom of a 5 gallon plastic bucket. That ring is completely covered with thin (about 1/2" thick), Open Cell foam rubber, hotmelt glued to the ring.
Bucket then filled about 2/3 w/water, floater placed on top w/styrofoam ring down. The center portion of the open cell foam sags a little below water level, and thereby wicks water throughout itself. Bees land on above water level foam and suck up the water.
Water is changed every now or then. I got bees attracted by initially baiting near the outer circumference of the open cell foam with a little string of honey a couple of times.


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## dadandsonsbees (Jan 25, 2012)

I placed a 5 gallon bucket with a blue handtowel laying half way in it. Filled it with water, the towel soaked up water and the bees crawl on the towel and drink. With the rain we have had I haven't had to refill it. I also added some sugar and lemon grass oil. The bees took to it almost immediately and love it better than a fat kid loves cake. (I can say that because I was a fat kid and I do love cake)


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

That's it - they actually prefer something that is wet to actual water. They water in a stock pond near my yard, and they actually use the muddy margin - not the water. We also have a pool, and the bees never start using it as long as we never leave anything floating in the water. They don't seem to like approaching the water down the vertical sides of the pool. Once they start though...


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## thebead (Oct 8, 2011)

... don't recall where exactly, but I remember reading a couple of places that "... bees don't like getting their feet wet..."

also, Farrar researched water consumption and reported especially during buildup, strong colonies gathered/used 1 gallon per week per colony. that's actually a lot of water.
When I think about it, they've evolved to Remove a lot of water from nectar, consequently, I quess, they aren't nearly as efficient water consumers as many other insects are.

In any event, it always has made sense to have water the bees can/will access, available in the bee yard. If nothing else, they don't have to pack it from further away.


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## stacyleighpalmer (Feb 19, 2012)

to go with what David said, I should add--I ALSO took the floats and noodles and beach ball out of the pool, but not because I consciously thought that would help long-term. So, thanks, David-I'll also start putting those up.

Day 2 & when I got home from work, no bees by the pool. So, it was probably a combination of the two, not just that they were diggin' the bucket.


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## Rusty67 (Mar 9, 2010)

Back to your question, you asked if there was an attractant you could use to switch the bees to the new source. I would get some of the water from the horse trough and try to bait them to the new source with it. They obviously like it, probably the smell: http://www.honeybeesuite.com/water-sources-for-bees/


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I use a fountain with a tiny pump, I think the running water attracts them. Hundreds stand around the edge and a few drown, I have not figured out any appropriate floating material yet.


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## cerezha (Oct 11, 2011)

In order to organize bees watering properly, one needs a couple of things:
- first - neighbor. Proper neighbor is the key!
- second, neighbor should install Jacuzzi and chlorinate the water.
Once everything established, bees will gladly accept Jacuzzi offerings...
Water on my property - does not taste right, that's it!


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## rrfunnyfarm (Apr 22, 2012)

We built a small aquaponic garden for the bees. It's a 100 gallon pond with perch. The gravel tray is growing watercress and catnip.
View attachment 2175


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## Yucca Patrol (Mar 31, 2012)

Similar to rrfunnyfarm, I just planted a bog garden of carnivorous plants in a very large old metal washtub. The growing medium is pure spaghnum peat moss that is kept completely saturated so that it glistens but does not actually have standing water in it.

Yesterday, I noticed some of my bees crawling around on the moist peat and drinking water from there. Considering that I have a spring fed stream running right next to my bee hives, there must be something about this mucky soaked peat moss that they like a lot. Since it is not an open water source that they can drown in, it doesn't bother me that they are there.


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## rrfunnyfarm (Apr 22, 2012)

I had made a floating cork and screen tray for the pond. The bees ignored it completely and seemed to prefer the gravel tray with the fish poo, algae and other muck.


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## SilverBack (Dec 10, 2011)

Quick update - I kept it simple. Put some rather scummy pond water into a shallow tub about 15 feet from the hives. I threw an old towel (shhh - don't tell my wife) in there as a landing platform. Two days later - bees are piling in there. They land on the wet towel and draw the water through the fabric.

Not fancy - but effective.


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