Here in central BC, Canada, we are having a hot, dry summer. I’ve noticed bees in my home yard collecting lots of water. Until a week ago they seemed to prefer collecting from the pond below our house. But now most bees are using a gravel island in the creek, upstream from the pond.
 
I’m guessing they are now using the creek because a hatch of dragon flies has started picking loaded bees off as they leave the pond. 

The pond is fed with water from the creek so the water quality of both sources should be very similar. However, the relatively still pond water has allowed a big patch of algae to form on its surface. Bees gathering water from the pond use this algae patch as a landing pad (hopefully it is pure, natural algae that the head of Monsanto and his/her fans would be happy to eat).

I’ve attempted to attach photos of a bee drinking from each location. I notice bees drinking from the pond hold their antenna relatively still while those in the shady, cool creek bottom have very active antenna. Does anyone know why this might be? My only guess is that bees drinking from the creek risk getting hit by a surge of moving water so are more alert.

I understand collecting water is one of the last jobs on the life-list of chores for a honey bee. It makes me think these old girls would be able to tell Christina the nectar source of her honey if she knew how to ask.

From the 1997 edition of “The Hive and the Honeybee” I learned that on average a bee carries 25mg of water per trip back to the hive. Their maximum load is 50mg. It is estimated a water collecting bee makes 50 trips per day if the water source is 0.4km distance from the hive. Our pond is about 300 feet from the beeyard but there is also a fifty foot difference in elevation the bees have to climb with their load of water, so maybe each trip takes about the same time-wise.
 
A strong hive of bees is estimated to use a liter (1kg) of water on a hot summer day. If each bee makes 50 trips that would require 800 bees collecting water. I guess a few more than that if they encounter dragonflies and swift flowing streams. Ted


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