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Date: | Tue, 26 Jan 2021 17:02:23 -0500 |
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> We have been able to get them to search
> close areas, but we have to work a bit
> harder to get them to do so.
What about water-gathers?
It is rare to find a bee tree more than a few hundred feet from a reliable water source, and many who bee-line do nothing more than survey known water sources on hot days looking for water-gathers.
Of course, this must be a factor in hive site selection, rather than a forager-driven "discovery", but water foragers still have to search when a source goes dry.
All my hives love the drip from the condensers of the rooftop A/C units, and while they might be visiting other roofs and other building's A/C units, the on-roof supplies are very popular.
(Pro tip for urban rooftop beekeepers, where they are fitted, evaporator pans can be notched, shimmed and tilted, or removed entirely to create or increase the water-drip flow. As the evaporation is accomplished with waste heat from motors, the water is conveniently heated so that it never freezes up, and the drips persist on those rare warm days in the middle of winter, when the bees might want some water. Manuals for all the units you'd ever find are online, so you can do this work without screwing anything up. )
We are familiar with round dances, of course... not much help.
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