Pond has become a honeybee hangout

[Criscar]

Good afternoon!

Over the past week our pond seems to have become part of the daily route of a hive of bees as a place to drink water (that’s what it looks like they are doing, at least). I have no objection to bees at all; our whole garden and backyard is set up to attract pollinators of all kinds. However, it is unnerving my spouse a bit to have a dozen bees all circling around one small area right next to our outdoor dining table. For those who have bee experience either as an apiarist or with their own pond, is this likely a seasonal thing with a migrating swarm, or a permanent behavior? And is there anything I might be able to do to encourage them to at least hang out more in the bog as opposed to 10 inches from one of the seating benches? Thanks!

 

[addy1]

See how shallow the water is, they have landing areas on the stones. Bees drown very easily. I have bees, they are in almost every pond, if it has plants to land on, if it has gravel they can land on, if the water is dirty, smelly, like good pond water. Once they find a spot it is imprinted in their gps, that here is our water hole.

They USUALLY will not bother you at all, I walk among them all the time. Here, this time of year, they gather a lot of water to help process the honey. They love my bog also land on parrots feather to drink in the ponds. We have around 50 drinking at the end of pavement near our house, water seeps out, I might be full of salt from winter. They love it.

 

[Criscar]

See how shallow the water is, they have landing areas on the stones. Bees drown very easily. I have bees, they are in almost every pond, if it has plants to land on, if it has gravel they can land on, if the water is dirty, smelly, like good pond water. Once they find a spot it is imprinted in their gps, that here is our water hole.

They USUALLY will not bother you at all, I walk among them all the time. Here, this time of year, they gather a lot of water to help process the honey. They love my bog also land on parrots feather to drink in the ponds. We have around 50 drinking at the end of pavement near our house, water seeps out, I might be full of salt from winter. They love it.

Thanks! I personally am not worried about them, and my kids all know how to behave around bees, but my spouse is less certain about this, as we do live in an area with many Africanized honey bees and a couple people have died locally from disturbing hives in the past decade or so. Being near them while they are foraging is not remotely like disturbing a hive, I know, but those stories tend to stick in people’s heads.

I have many plants like parrot feather and water hyssop and creeping Jenny and all of the bog where they could easily access the water but for some reason they are really intent on using this one pot where I recent raised the level of the pebbles to accommodate a couple marginals that prefer their crowns out of the water.

If they have scent marked that spot, I wonder if I could rinse it off overnight and they might pick a different spot?

 

[bagsmom]

I love watching the honeybees get water and then "bee line" back to the hive. But the whole Africanized honeybees thing would concern me, too.

 

[addy1]

If they have scent marked that spot, I wonder if I could rinse it off overnight and they might pick a different spot?

They found a water source they like, either the scent, the taste, the ability to land without drowning.

It is now a gps coordinate they follow for water. And tell other hive members. Take a fine net, under 1/8 inch, or #8 hardware cloth, cover the gravel for awhile, off the water so they can not drink. Put the net on late evening real early am, before any bees fly in.

Get some lemon grass oil, sprinkle it on some rags put it near the other water sources. They love that smell and will leave the area they have selected for the new area, but give them time to readjust.

 

[Criscar]

It occurred to me that perhaps the solution is even simpler, which is just to add another layer of gravel so the surface is dry and there is no access to water from that area, and thus they might shift to the bog instead?

 

[Mgessert]

If you know where their hive is, you could ask the beekeeper to provide a watering spot for them.

 

[Criscar]

If you know where their hive is, you could ask the beekeeper to provide a watering spot for them.

I am fairly certain no one has an apiary here where I live, but I do live next to a small wildlife preserve so no doubt their hive is somewhere in there and they prefer the taste of my pond over the semi-stagnant brackish stream running through it that feeds into the estuary.

 

[addy1]

It occurred to me that perhaps the solution is even simpler, which is just to add another layer of gravel so the surface is dry and there is no access to water from that area, and thus they might shift to the bog instead?

Yes that would work, you need to make sure no water can be reached by those lil gals. They will go down as low as they can to reach the water.

 

[GBBUDD]

If i'm not mistaken aren't you folks going through a drought out there? you maybe the only water in the area with a ease of access

 

[Lisak1]

I rejoice when I see honeybees, but I do understand the concerns. I think the best idea is provide a water source elsewhere and make this one less appealing until they move on.

 

[addy1]

They love tubs of water with floating corks, straw, add a bit of salt, a bit of lemon grass oil, a bit of algae, let it perk in the sun. They will relocate.
But you need to make the area they are loving at this time, not as attractive, to get them to move on.

 

[CharlotteSC]

As a beekeeper, I understand your issue. As others have explained, I would add a "safe place" for the bees to drink with gravel etc so they can drink without drowning. Even in an area with AHB, you are less likely to have an issue due to genetics at the watering hole. AHB are more protective of their hive - not so much while foraging. A tiny piece of mineral salt block in the other location? Temporarily making the spot they love now deeper in water so they choose another?

 

[Criscar]

As a beekeeper, I understand your issue. As others have explained, I would add a "safe place" for the bees to drink with gravel etc so they can drink without drowning. Even in an area with AHB, you are less likely to have an issue due to genetics at the watering hole. AHB are more protective of their hive - not so much while foraging. A tiny piece of mineral salt block in the other location? Temporarily making the spot they love now deeper in water so they choose another?

If i'm not mistaken aren't you folks going through a drought out there? you maybe the only water in the area with a ease of access

GBudd, California being a very large state, it’s the central and northern part of the state that are in extreme drought. San Diego county, where I live, is having a more mild drought, and I happen to live next to a small wildlife preserve with a creek running through it, which is fairly rare for So Cal. Also, given that all of So Cal is in a Mediterranean to desert climate naturally, there is constant irrigation of lawns, gardens, etc, so on a daily basis there is a lot of wet stuff. I suspect the pond is just tastier than the other sources.

CharlotteSC, There is a gravel bog with similar conditions and watercress with flowers only 2-3 feet away from this little square pot. They go over there to check out the flowers, but it’s only this little square pot they are interested in for water. Would it help to transfer some of the gravel from the little pot to the bog perhaps?

 

[SoCal Pond]

We have them visit our bog all day long. I just walked out there and took a shot. I have had to net a few of them out of the main pond a time or two.