Bees Drinking a lot ?

[lorrick]

Hi All
I have two feeders on my two Hives that are in the shade as they have been quite subdued after one Swarmed and I made a new colony from it. No feeders on the other two that are in the sun all day as they have been whizzing back and forth between a Bean field and hive, I sometimes see one or two bees on the bird bath near them but the past few days they have been getting more numerous, is it likely that they have just found a place to drink and more of them are coming over or can it be they are diluting the honey for food as the food source has dried up and they are using there supplies (June Break)
Regards
Richard

 

[enrico]

I can have fifty to a hundred bees at my bird bath. I have filled it with moss. They love it. Dilutes the pollen for feeding larvae.
E

 

[MuswellMetro]

Either means they are diluting honey stores to eat or using water to cool the hive down by evaporating the water because it is too hot inside the hive

 

[sharonh]

Either means they are diluting honey stores to eat or using water to cool the hive down by evaporating the water because it is too hot inside the hive

Agree,
I have a big tub filled with beach stone, moss on and around top. I top it up every morning. Bees when they find a good water source, they will keep using it.
I have it 5 foot from the hives sitting on a small pallet. The stone & moss stop them from drowning.
When I put it there first, I added a few drops of lemon grass oil. They found & started using it straight away. They use it ever since.
Regards
Sharon
Warm days, they use a lot keeping the hive cool.



Love Beekeeping <3

 

[lorrick]

Thanks Muswell, Enrico and Sharon, That;s OK then nothing untoward, The bird bath too had beach stones in it for the birds to settle on, I will have to get another one as the birds will not use it while the bees are.

Thanks

Richard

 

[meidel]

I found that since the flow started the last couple of weeks our bees at the apiary have stopped going to the same trough they'd been using the last 6 months - either they've found a better water source or they're getting sufficient moisture from nectar.

 

[Finman]

.
Yes during nectar flow they get water from nectar.
During rainy and cold days bees carry water to make food juice to larvae. They come out early in morning and lick water from plant leaves.
UK is not do hot that bees must cool hives.

 

[Fatbee]

Just be thankful it's the birdbath. I saw a lot of my bees on the slurry water on the heap of manure my father-inlaw had dumped from his cattle about 500 yards away without telling me! Will add an interesting aroma!

 

[lorrick]

Just be thankful it's the birdbath. I saw a lot of my bees on the slurry water on the heap of manure my father-inlaw had dumped from his cattle about 500 yards away without telling me! Will add an interesting aroma!

 

[fiftyjon]

Bees in Surrey are more accustomed to frequent hot tubs and spa baths.
Had to move some of my bees because of this.

 

[MartinL]

Thanks Muswell, Enrico and Sharon, . . . . . . . . . . . . , I will have to get another one as the birds will not use it while the bees are.
Richard

Don't forget to label them, (so they both know which one to use)!

 

[Jimy Dee]

Fatbee - I also have seen one or two bees drinking water from the seepage from horse dung. I understand they get some minerals and nutrients from such "water". Leave it to the bees to decide.

 

[Fatbee]

Yep - given there is about thirty tonnes of the stuff it won't be going anywhere until after harvest.
Honey is after all a natural product and it doesn't get more natural than that...