# Bees and Urine



## GA-BEE (Jan 20, 2004)

I have noticed lately that bees are attracted to my rabbit hutch and are on the bedding where the rabbits urine is absorbed. They also gather on places where my goats urinate. Any idea what they are getting and what do they use it for? Very curious.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

I heard it said that butterflies will collect on areas where urine from animals is. I believe they are collecting minerals, etc. if I remember correctly. Probably the same for bees. I know our bees like wet potting soil/compost.


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## Sid from Texas (Jan 24, 2011)

I have not seen this phenomenon, we have rabbits and goats among other species. The previous writer may be correct. Here is an old thread

http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-197399.html


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## tedlemay (Oct 3, 2011)

i have always assumed they were collecting minerials.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

Salt


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## tenponta (Nov 8, 2011)

My bees are also attracted to my dog's pee.


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## Sid from Texas (Jan 24, 2011)

I wondered about "SALT". I have blocks of salt out for the animals. The bees do not go to my goat's or rabbit's urine, but I do not see them on the salt blocks either. I also assumed the poster had salt blocks out for his livestock.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

We had an out-house for a couple years before we had indoor plumbing...walking water. You don't pee on an out-house...bees are attracted to the human variety, too.


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## jtow (Mar 30, 2011)

Bees are also attracted to the salt in blood. Always wondered if they would feed on salt and mineral blocks left out for cattle and deer?


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## kjbann (Jun 30, 2009)

jtow said:


> Bees are also attracted to the salt in blood. Always wondered if they would feed on salt and mineral blocks left out for cattle and deer?


I've noticed many times when I feed our steers shortly after daylight, that there are bees on the manure behind the barn. Don't know that there is any connection. Sometimes when I get a compliment on our honey, I say it's probably the cow manure. (Only when I know the customer well ). 
Ken


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## Sid from Texas (Jan 24, 2011)

We have not seen them go after the salt blocks, I will look.


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## mrnewberry (Feb 13, 2012)

In one of the Foxfire books it talks about beelining and one of the baits that it mentions is corn cobs soaked in urine...


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## SHAWHANBEEK (Feb 7, 2016)

My 94 year old grandfather from the mountains of west Virginia was telling me a story about how he and his dad would find wild hives by urinating on corn cobs and waiting for bees to land on them. They would track the bee as it left as far as they could. Once they lost site they would "pee" on another corn cob and track another bee and repeat the process until they found the hive.

I googled urinating on corn cob to attract bees and this post popped up..


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## TalonRedding (Jul 19, 2013)

mrnewberry said:


> In one of the Foxfire books it talks about beelining and one of the baits that it mentions is corn cobs soaked in urine...


I know folks who have used that bait successfully.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

Like all other livestock,bees need salt. I prefer to use mineral salt from the local feed store.


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## jcolon (Sep 12, 2014)

Don't eat the yellow honey!!! :lpf:


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

I have a low area that gets some run off from road salting and it is often abuzz with bees that appear to be sucking up the moisture. I have read an article that indicated the bees like a dilute solution containing only a few percentage points of various salts. They also like the soil around the barn yard but never see them go directly to the salt blocks. Probably too concentrated does not turn their cranks! 

The right amount of salt is fairly crucial when a person is baking bread and likely the bees need to get it right for their bee bread too.


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