Hi Everyone,
Jeanne asks about help for beekeeping in an urban/suburban situation.  Ellen offered some very good comments including:
 "Are the bees perhaps being attracted to the dogs water dish?  If so, and the neighbor is very nervous, move the bees immediately.  (As soon as you can!)  Getting bees to stop using a source of water is almost impossible once they get used to it, and the dog cannot be deprived of his water.  Set up a good water source in your own back yard. (A pond or trickling fountain with water plants in it is ideal- the bees like to perch on a leaf while drinking.  My bees favorites are water Lettuce and Papyrus.)  Once that is set up, and the bees that remember the dogs water dish are dead, (a few weeks away, at least)  you may be able to move the hive back in without further problems- just be sure that the bees have a more tempting and reliable water source than the dogs dish."

There is one way to discourage bees from visiting the water dish or other areas where they are not wanted that sometimes works but could be worth a try.  Bees strongly dislike the smell or almond extract and adding a little to the water in the dish will discourage them from gathering water there.  Now as Ellen said you must supply them with another source of water nearby.  I use a chicken waterer with a sponge in the tray set near the hives in my suburban yard.  Most complaints that I get regarding honey bees are due to the bees gathering water where they are not wanted.  The almond extract trick has helped in a couple of cases where bees were gathering water at a stock tank that and the horses would not approach the water so give it a try.

FWIW

Good luck.

blane



******************************************
Blane White
MN Dept of Agriculture
[log in to unmask]