I made an appeal for suggestions earlier related to a problem with "my"
honeybees flying into the  neighbor's swimming pool.  The pool is bright
blue, the bees weren't picking up water at the pool, they simply didn't
appear to see the surface.  Responses from BEE-Lner's were delightful,
and I now summarize them:
 
If the bees were picking up water at the pool:
 
        1. "Scent the water in their home watering tubs to help them
identify the source."  I sprayed orange flavored sugar water on the tubs
but got little increase in usage.  Bees were already picking up water at
my tubs.  My neighbor who has the pool added some maple flavored syrup to
his bird bath and, to no surprise, "my" bees prefer his water.
 
        2. "Move the hives to a distant location for about 3 weeks, then
bring them back and hope that they will home in on the beeyard tubs."  I
didn't try this since I have 17 top bar hives.
 
        3. "Set up a hose pipe that drips water onto a slanting board;
bees like to pick up water there."  I added a sloping board to one of my
tubs, but the bees still prefer to pick up water from the water hyacinth
plants or the concrete blocks in the tubs.
 
        4. "Is it possible to breed bees that can recognize danger, learn,
and go tell of it to the other bees?"  I don't know, but I'm looking for
an immediate solution.
 
If the bees are flying into the pool and not picking up water:
 
        1. "Drain the pool and blame it on space aliens :)".  Didn't try; my
neighbor has a shotgun to protect against space aliens.
 
        2. "Paint the pool dark brown. :)"  Neighbor prefers blue.
 
        3. "Pay for a glass enclosure. :)"  My fixed income wouldn't permit.
 
        4. "Expect the problem to abate if it is related to flight path
generated by a particular honeyflow."  Addressed in summary comments.
 
        5. "Put bright yellow floats and ropes in the pool."  This was
suggested to my neighbor.
 
Summary comments:
 
I was convinced, by watching the bees, that they were *not* picking up
water at the pool but were simply flying into the bright surface.  I did
not see any of them trying to turn upside down as has been reported for
bees flying over bright snow...at least as best I could see.
 
My neighbor now puts all of the floats and ropes in the pool before they
expect to swim and finds that this has corrected the problem.  An
occasional bee will now fall in, but it isn't the large number earlier.
There may be a confounding issue here, for the sourwood flow is ending
and there is a good foraging area in the woods behind his house.  Perhaps
the forage flight paths have changed for the moment.
 
I thank all of you who responded to my request.  Incidentally, I reported
that the giant european hornets were preying on my bees again this year.
I received a response that confirmed that they fly at night also.  I went
out to my hives last night after dark, and, yes, there was one there
trying to pick up a bee...didn't get the hornet with my soapy water spray
bottle, but I will eventually.
 
Cordially yours,
 
Jim
 
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  |  James D. Satterfield        |  E-Mail: [log in to unmask]       |
  |                              --------------------------------
  |  258 Ridge Pine Drive         Canton is about 40 mi/64 km   |
  |  Canton, GA 30114, USA        north of Atlanta, Georgia USA |
  |  Telephone (770) 479-4784                                   |
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