Result: A garbage can top filled with water and leaves. The bees need the water so they come here for it. Without anything to ride on, they often drown. When I discovered this water source, I also saw a number of drowned bees, floating in the pool of water.
To help the situation, I added a stick so that the bees could stand on the stick and drink the water.
I didn't get a picture of a bee on the stick, but below you can see a bee collecting water from the trash can lid.
are you not afraid that the water is polluted?
ReplyDeleteIt's rain water - so no, I'm not afraid it's polluted - at least not any more than any other water the bees might find. If it were poured there from some can that held paint or something else, I might be worried, but it's rain water that falls on a clean plastic lid. The bees would rather drink gross standing water out of a gutter and would if it were available to them, but we are having a drought in Georgia.
ReplyDeleteIs it a matter of the level of tannic acid present? Soaked leaves, gutter and flower pot water all appear to have this in common. Just curious, and I'm definitely NOT a bee expert :)
ReplyDeleteI tried leaving a water source for my bees the first year, but like yours they never visited it. My favorite book, "the Keeper of the Bees", talks about putting a little salt in the water. Have you heard of this? Have you tried it?
ReplyDeleteThis is a little off subject but when you said that you found dead bees floating in the water it reminded me of my hummingbird feeder. When I clean the feeder, I always find a dead bee inside. I wouldn't have thought it could get into such a small hole and I feel so bad when I find them. Do you have a suggestion for safely keeping them out? I don't mind that they share in the food ... I just don't want to kill them.
ReplyDeleteSmall Footprints
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com
i like this blog ;)
ReplyDeleteI took down my hummingbird feeders when I found dead bees in them. I don't think there's a good way to keep them out and still allow the hummingbirds to eat. The hole has to be the size it is to allow the hummingbird's bill and that is large enough for a bee to get in. The only other solution I can think of would be to float some styrofoam in the hummingbird feed to allow the bee a place to land while inside (bees can't swim!)
ReplyDeleteWe keep our waterfall/stream running year round. We also have a salt water swimming pool. Although it's covered for the winter, we're always aware of saving any bees that get into trouble in the salt water. They do love the salt, I think.
ReplyDeleteCameron
(an avid gardener, learning more about bees -- 4 feral hives near me)
This is so cool!
ReplyDeleteI've featured this blogsite on mine.
Best to you and your bees!
I've read that fruit-eating bats get their vitamin B-12 from drinking stagnant water - I wonder if that's true for bees as well? Tho the pollen should have B-12 (usually found in protein foods & fermented items) . . .
ReplyDeleteJust saw the movie 'Secret Life of Bees' at a little 'artsy' theater on the weekend - oh, what a lovely story! & so well done - Queen Latifa as a bee-keeper!!
Blessings
I never stop learning. Bees drink water. Thank you for the pictures. :)
ReplyDeletewow, nice post with very wonderful photos.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda,
ReplyDeleteMy bees spent too much time looking for water this summer. I read about a beekeeper using a watering feeder used by chickens. Sounded like a good idea and will try it next spring & summer.
Dave
Pottstown, PA
A beekeeper named Tony emailed me that he puts water jars outside of each hive using these:
ReplyDeletehttp://millermanufacturing.com/page/1/Product-Detail.jsp?groupId=306&prodId=30085
He puts rocks in the trough to allow the bees something to keep them from drowning.
great post!
ReplyDeleteHmm Well I was just searching on Google for some Tarot readings of some Tarot reader
ReplyDeleteand just came across your blog, generally I just only visit blogs and retrieve my required
information but this time the useful information that you posted in this post compelled me
to reply here and appreciate your good work. I just bookmarked your blog
Our hummingbird feeders have attracted what looks like a hundred bees. Is there any way to get rid of the bees? I don't want to kill them. Thanks
ReplyDeletemany parts of the country are experiencing a dearth right now just before the fall nectar flow (not so in Georgia where the fall flow is underway). Consequently they are starving for a nectar source and unfortunately your hummingbird feed fits the bill. Please don't kill them, but disrupt the cycle - take down the feeder for a few days and maybe they'll give it up or the goldenrod will start blooming where you are.
ReplyDeleteRe hummingbird feeder bee drowning. Place a 1/2" screen just over the feeder tube so the hummingbirds can still sip but the bees will be blocked. Good luck! And thanks for trying to help the bees.
ReplyDeleteWe live on the Fraser River Delta. Today, there were probably over 50 bees in the water. Early in the day, I fished out 6 and they recovered. Tonight there was a much larger body of sludgey water with many more bees in it. I fished out about 25 but they are not looking good. They are cold and wet.
ReplyDeleteWhy are they becoming trapped in this algae? There are so many of them in just one small sludge-body. Does this mean there are bees in every one of these things that flow by our house at this time of year?
How to water bees in Southern California and not nurture mosquitoes which carry West Nile virus? Have just set up microspray head to wet rough rocks when sprinkler runs. A friend suggested placing a wool cloth so it gets wet and will retain some moisture over time. Saw a bee inspecting a crumpled tissue on the ground. They are desperate.
ReplyDeleteAnother informative post. You just can't help but learn on this website. Why do the bees allow themselves to get trapped in the water? Surely they should have a natural instinct to avoid it!?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they get trapped in water because they're "fuzzy" and the water soaks up in their hairs and weights them down. I've been keeping a bird-bath full of fresh water in a very dry/hot climate and the bees discovered it and have taken it over. They do seem a bit clumsy though, and I usually find one or two that have drowned.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried using their feeder as a water source? I recently stopped feeding a new hive and was thinking about filling the feeder (inverted mason jar that slides into the entrance) with water. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeletei have 3 natural bee hives in a tree outside of my apartment. i was watching them fly away and return rather quickly. so i tryed to follow them which wasnt to hard due to the number of bees heading off in one direction. i found they were at the house next door, bird bath gathering water. i never knew bees drank water!! i explained to the olderly couple that lives there what i was doing as well as the bees. they didnt belive me until i found this site and printed it for them to read.thanks to you all the bees are now safe because they were going to kill them to keep them out of the bird bath.ill try setting up drinking station closer to the hive, then maybe they will stay away from the bird bath. thanks again
ReplyDelete