# Bee Keeping Next to Chlorinated Swimming Pool????



## majet76 (Aug 18, 2013)

I am going to start a beehive in my backyard. I realize that bees in the wild live next to a fresh source of water. If I set up the bees in my back yard, will the bees drink from the chlorinated water? And if they do, will they get sick???

I could run the "experiment" and get the bees and see what happens. However, if someone already has strong evidence for what happens to bees next to chlorinated pools of water, swimming or otherwise, let me know.


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## majet76 (Aug 18, 2013)

Oh!! and anti-algae and other chemical treatments in pool. "shock" is a common term for chemicals used to prevent algae.


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## treeWinder (May 3, 2013)

Ours seem to prefer chlorinated water, although they also drink at all the birdfeeders and a dedicated 35gal non- chlorinated half drum for them. Give them options near the hive and that may keep some of them away, but figure some will go to the pool.


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

Bees love swimming pools and chlorinated water. You will have your work cut out for you to provide the bees water so that they do not flock the pool. See the thread on best practices. And bees in the wild live near a source of fresh water, not next to. I encourge you to find a bee school this winter. There should be lots in NJ.

Welcome to Beesource!

Bees seem to prefer non clean water. You will frequently see them after rain near manure piles; one of my yards main water source is a wet spot where surface water accumulates during a rain and gradually subsides. I also have a river (tidal) within flying distance.


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## majet76 (Aug 18, 2013)

Andrew Dewey said:


> See the thread on best practices..


I searched and could not find the thread or related threads. 

Can someone direct me to the thread? I used search terms "chlorinated water, swimming pools."


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Here is the thread Andrew is referring to:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...help-manage-bees-The-Star&p=987794#post987794

And I agree, you may have a hard time keeping your bees away from pool water.

Another reference on water:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeswater.htm


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I have a pool here, an above ground Intex model. I found that keeping the filtration pump running in the daylight hours, with the water exhaust nozzle on the side of the pool pointed up to create a current of water movement on the surface, works real well at keeping the bees out. If I leave the filter off, as I have for the past week, the bees come and get in the pool. Today I turned on the filter system and with the water movement on the top, the bees don't land on the water now. Good luck to you.


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## MichaelShantz (May 9, 2010)

My hives are right beside our pool (20 ft) and (almost) never use it for water. They vastly prefer our algae covered birdbath/fountains 60 ft away on the other side of the house.


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## lazy shooter (Jun 3, 2011)

I have a swimming pool and there are lots of bees around my house, but I never see a honey bee in or near the pool. The paper wing wasps feast on my pool, but never a bee.


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## Stingy (Dec 14, 2010)

I've also got a pool less than 100 feet from my hive and I don't have a problem with bees in my pool. Having said that, I also keep a 5 gallon bucket with wine corks in it full of water within 10 feet of the hive. They use this almost exclusively.


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## lazy shooter (Jun 3, 2011)

Stingy said:


> I've also got a pool less than 100 feet from my hive and I don't have a problem with bees in my pool. Having said that, I also keep a 5 gallon bucket with wine corks in it full of water within 10 feet of the hive. They use this almost exclusively.


What brand of wine corks work best?


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## Stingy (Dec 14, 2010)

They seem partial to California wines.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I, on the other hand, have had to move entire yards because of complaints about bees at a neighbor's pool. 
It isn't a slam dunk.....


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## lazy shooter (Jun 3, 2011)

beemandan said:


> I, on the other hand, have had to move entire yards because of complaints about bees at a neighbor's pool.
> It isn't a slam dunk.....


Due to kids using my swimming pool there is nearly always something floating in it. It's a perfect place for bees to water, but nary a bee comes to the pool.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

lazy shooter said:


> but nary a bee comes to the pool.


Ya got to wonder why they are sometimes drawn like flies (pun intended) and sometimes not at all. Go figure......


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