Here's my summary of the bee water discussion of Jan/Feb. The goal is
to supply the bees with needed water, but in particular, to prevent
them from using "undesirable" water sources (such as the neighbour's
hot tub). Thus, the chosen solution must be more attractive to
bees than competing water sources. It must also be safe for other
wildlife, and must not turn into an uncontrolled mosquito breeding area.
I've tried to give credit where credit is due; if I've misattributed
someone's comments, or worse, misrepresented them somehow, please
correct me. Other corrections are welcome too, of course.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
-----------------
- If possible, start supplying water as soon as possible in your
season, before any competing water sources become available, as
bees tend to remain loyal to a source once discovered.
- Make sure that bees can land and walk safely to the water,
preferably by supplying a gradual path from dry to wet conditions,
such as crumpled newspaper, cardboard, sponge, moss, mud, wood,
or another material that wicks water.
- "Dirty" water is most attractive to bees (mud, manure, decaying
organic matter); they also seem to like salt in their water, at
concentrations around 0.5% NaCl (3.3 tsp/gal), though as little
as 1 or 2 tsp/gal may be sufficient.
- Bees can be "conditioned" to a new water source by offering
slightly sugared water, and then gradually removing the sugar once
they are using the source. It can be helpful to add another scent
to the water to help the bees continue to recognize that source;
lemongrass oil or anise would be easy ones, though cheaper
(bleach) and more expensive (synthetic Nasonov pheromone)
scents have been used.
- If, by using a porous/wicking substrate, you can avoid open water,
you may be able to avoid breeding mosquitoes in your watering
device. If you can't avoid it, then consider using fish such
as minnows or guppies to eat the mosquitoes. (Or of course
you could just change the water frequently.)
DETAILS:
-------
Timing:
Bees tend to be loyal to sources chosen in early spring, so it's
important to start water feeders as soon as the hive is hive
unwrapped from winter (if applicable!), before the competing water
sources become available (Janet L. Wilson, Przemek Skoskiewicz,
Jerry Bromenshenk, Glenn Woemmel).
Watering container/props:
Where natural ponds and puddles are not available (or their use by
the bees is not desirable), a variety of water containers is used,
including kiddie pools (Bill Greenrose), birdbaths (Anna Farneski,
Bill Greenrose, Deb Corcoran), an oil-change pan (Glenn Woemmel),
a half whiskey barrel (Ruth Askren), a small stock tank (Jerry
Bromenshenk), a chicken waterer (Janet L. Wilson), a Boardman
entrance feeder (Przemek Skoskiewicz), the Perky-Pet mason jar
bird waterer (Gosia and David Liedlich), and large saucers (Anne
Bennett, Jamie Beyer).
Most important seems to be to have a place for bees to land
and walk without drowning. For this purpose, people have used
floating objects of various sorts, mostly sticks or branches
(Jerry Bromenshenk, Gosia and David Liedlich, Bill Greenrose),
as well as "platforms", mostly rocks and stones (Anna Farneski,
Bill Greenrose, Anne Bennett, Deb Corcoran, Glenn Woemmel).
However, Jamie Beyer pointed out that bees like to land on something
relatively dry and be able to walk to the right moisture level.
"Aylett Apiaries" stated that bees prefer shallow water, or, per Janet
L. Wilson, a surface coated in water; Randy Oliver mentions that a
porous substrate seems to be preferred. All this is corroborated
by Bill Greenrose's observation that bees are often found drinking
at the edges of ponds and puddles, and other observations that
bees congregate around leaks, such as that from a rain barrel
(Deb Corcoran) or from a garden hose sprayer (Aylett Apiaries).
This may be why people report success with a board, sponge, wet
rock, or some cardboard wicking water (Janet L. Wilson), pieces
of soggy foam (Glenn Woemmel), the soil in potted plants (Anne
Bennett, Aylett Apiaries), and crumpled up newspapers (Jamie
Beyer, who explains that high points dry out whereas low points
remain moist, providing that gradual path to wetter conditions
which the bees seem to prefer).
Two contributors mentioned success when providing a bit of
movement to the water, for example with a little solar fountain
(Randy Oliver) or a slow drip-line strategically placed to splash
the water a bit (Ruth Askren).
Repellents:
One can discouage bees from a particular water source using
Fischer's Bee Quick (Jerry Bromenshenk). Randy Oliver tried
DEET for this purpose with no success.
Attractants:
It was universally agreed that bees love dirty water: mud, manure,
pond water containing decaying organic matter from aquatic plants...
the stinkier the better! (Jamie Beyer, Bonoan et al quoted by
John Chesnut, Richard Cryberg, Randy Oliver, Bill Greenrose,
Aylett Apiaries, Anne Bennett, Janet L. Wilson's research).
Several people observed that bees like salt: John Chesnut's
bees love his neighbour's koi pond, which is salted to probably
0.2%-0.4% (2 tsp/gal), Glenn Woemmel noticed bees getting water
from puddles around a salt block, and Przemek Skoskiewicz uses
water with slight salinity introduced by a water softener.
David Baker had heard that bees like a salt concentration of 1
tsp/gal; Randy Oliver's quick review of the literature suggested
0.5% NaCl (3.3 tsp/gal). Janet L. Wilson's work shows that in
the absence of sugar, bees prefer a very weak salt water source;
John Chesnut quoted Bonoan et al (2017) to the effect that honey
bees like salt in their water at all times. According to Peter
Loring Borst, Butler (1940) reported a bee preference for salt
in a study conducted in the spring. All that being said, Randy
Oliver reports no luck with salt.
There seems to be some controversy around the effectiveness of
other minerals. While Przemek Skoskiewicz implies that the
high mineral content of his well water may contribute to its
attractiveness to bees, John Chesnut quoted Bonoan et al (2017)
to the effect that bees like calcium, magnesium, and potassium
in their water only in the fall, while Peter Loring Borst quoted
Butler (1940) to the effect that no preference for minerals
other than salt was found (in a study performed in the spring).
Jim Jakim accidentally created some possibly-unhealthy "battery
soup" (rainfall plus some D-cells and a lithium battery), which
his bees seemed to love, while James Fischer's bees like the
condenser drip pans of rooftop A/C units best of all.
There was some interesting discussion around the idea that perhaps
certain scents are attractive not in themselves, but as a way
to easily locate a water source. Butler (1940), quoted by Peter
Loring Borst, had concluded that bees prefer dirty water because
it has a distinct odour that makes it easy to remember, not for
any reason connected to the nutritious value of it mineral contents.
This raises the possibility of "spiking" bee water with various
substances in order to condition them to a source. Peter Loring
Borst quoted Free et al (1983) to the effect that synthetic Nasonov
pheromone could be used to condition bees to collect water from a
particular source, and quoted "The Skep" (April 2016) regarding
lemongrass oil used in the same way. Randy Oliver reported no
such success with Nasonov pheromone nor with lemongrass oil,
but Jerry Bromenshenk reported on a DARPA semiochemical study
that found Nasonov pheromone to be attractive to bees only after
they were conditioned to the scent with a reward (sugar syrup).
In that vein, Janet L. Wilson recommends attracting bees to a
new source by offering slightly sugared water, and then gradually
removing the sugar once they are using the source.
Other scented substances that have been reported to attract bees
to a water source include anise (Jerry Bromenshenk), bleach (Anna
Farneski), and Ultra Bee (Deb Corcoran); Deb Corcoran locates her
her watering device among bee attracting plants.
The mosquito issue:
Several posters recommend using mosquito-eating fish such as minnows
or guppies in ponds or large water containers (Randy Oliver, Mike S,
Bill Greenrose, James Fischer), with an aerator pump if needed
(James Fischer referring to the "urban mosquito-fish lily pond"
pioneered by Mike Barrett).
Jamie Beyer has no mosquito problem; he states that mosquito larvae
require some open water so they can attach to the surface tension,
so his crumpled newspaper technique, which contains no open water,
doesn't allow this.
One poster (John Chesnut) uses "mosquito dunkers" (containing Bacillus
thuringiensis subspecies israelensis (Bti)) because fish would
also eat frog eggs.
END WORDS:
---------
Well, that was interesting. Too bad I don't have room for a pond.
I've already bought a Perky Pet waterer, so I'll probably give it
a try with a bit of sugar and salt, and a drop or two of lemongrass
oil and/or anise oil. I'll stop the sugar once the bees are using
that source (if this works!). With any luck I won't get wasps too. :-/
While letting my tiny fountain get more "dirty" than it already gets
(i.e., not cleaning it regularly) is an option, that tends to plug
up the tiny pump. Options, options...
But my observation that wet plant pot soil is a favourite has
been reinforced, so perhaps I'll set up a plant pot in a strategic
location, let the various water sources duke it out for bee preference,
and report back in a few months!
Anne, backyard beekeeper, Montreal.
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