Honey Bee Sanctuary - NOT!

[Mimi13]

I think someone suggested a 3 gallon container with pebbles...(it's been a long day ). That's an excellent suggestion. Point of fact, a pair of 5 gallon buckets filled with rocks -- for the bees to crawl on -- would give you even more time.

If rocks are hard to come by, stack a layer or two of standing bricks in your 5 gal buckets. You can fill the water right up to about half an inch below the top of the brick and your 'invaders' should have enough to land on.

I would imagine that this situation will probably go away at some point in the near future. Nature has a way of balancing things out. However, if the problem returns next year, then I would start looking around. There's got to be a bee keeper close by who isn't doing a very good job of caring for their bees.

Keep us posted and good luck!

This makes me curious. Hypothetically speaking, let’s say I decide to set up my own colony and order a nuc for the spring. What happens if the bees I’m now seeing come back in the spring and mix with my new bees’ at the watering hole? Will there be an all out bee war that will decimate my very own buzzy bees? Or will they all share the water? Just wondering.

 

[WthrLady]

They'll be fine.

 

[Mimi13]

And the bee suits....saunas!

And this is the biggest drawback to me deciding to keep bees. It is already hot enough without the bee suit! Oh dear.

 

[WthrLady]

They have new all vented ones! And you dont have to live in them. I wear the bare minimum under mine. Tmi. Sorry. But I also wear it around the hive when I need to, otherwise I zip it to the waist but tie the top and sleeves around my waist.

(Bee allergy) so I have to suit up fully everytime

 

[Mimi13]

They have new all vented ones! And you dont have to live in them. I wear the bare minimum under mine. Tmi. Sorry. But I also wear it around the hive when I need to, otherwise I zip it to the waist but tie the top and sleeves around my waist.

(Bee allergy) so I have to suit up fully everytime

Never too much TMI! I like the whole story.

Luckily I don’t have bee allergies, but I think I will still want to suit up. You have been so helpful. Thank you.

 

[WthrLady]

Never too much TMI! I like the whole story.

Luckily I don’t have bee allergies, but I think I will still want to suit up. You have been so helpful. Thank you.

Oh there is a whole story to the swarm capture. It's funny too. Video as well, which friend has.

As for help...any time!

 

[aart]

Point of fact, a pair of 5 gallon buckets filled with rocks -- for the bees to crawl on -- would give you even more time.

Depth of bucket doesn't matter once the water level drops beyond top layer of rocks. One of those gravity fed pet waterers with the bowl filled with stones.
Or you could DIY one with a small or large bottle.

And this is the biggest drawback to me deciding to keep bees. It is already hot enough without the bee suit! Oh dear.

It was also the cost of suit, and all the other gear, big factors in putting me off of it.

 

[bnther]

Depth of bucket doesn't matter once the water level drops beyond top layer of rocks. One of those gravity fed pet waterers with the bowl filled with stones.
Or you could DIY one with a small or large bottle.

It was also the cost of suit, and all the other gear, big factors in putting me off of it.

Sorry, what I was meaning was the deeper the bucket, the less you have to refill. So long as the bees have a good surface to crawl on, they'll be fine.

Visualize a cement block standing on end inside a 5 gallon bucket. You can fill the bucket with water to where the water level is just shy of the top of the block. Then as the water is consumed, the bees will start to crawl down the sides of the block in order to reach the lowering water level.

This means less interaction (or less potential for problems) with the bees.

 

[WthrLady]

Tv

Depth of bucket doesn't matter once the water level drops beyond top layer of rocks. One of those gravity fed pet waterers with the bowl filled with stones.
Or you could DIY one with a small or large bottle.

It was also the cost of suit, and all the other gear, big factors in putting me off of it.

Thats why i lime the top bar. I built it. Bought a suit and smoker. . Hive tool is an old kitchen knife. Strainer for honey os an old kitchen seive.

Nothing else needed. No extractors. No spinners. No frames. . No foundations to replace.

Ok I did buy those two books. But I'm a book person.

 

[ewok126]

What I have done for my bees is I have one of the large gravity fed automatic dog watering bowls

. I place it on the opposite side of my yard away from my birds. What I have also done is I have filled the base with the Styrofoam packing peanuts. We call it "Ghost Poop." or you can cut a piece of bubble wrap and cut holes in it the size of a pencil eraser and float it on top of the water. This way no rocks are needed, the bees have a place to land or swim to so they can get out if they should fall in the water and its very easy to move if I need to. Also the peanuts or bubble wrap changes with the water level since they both float. Now as far as keeping the bees away from your birds water I would suggest this. Do something similar a bucket and place a layer of Styrofoam packing peanuts or bubble wrap on top of the water. I would suggest the bubble wrap because with the peanuts, wind blows it off the top of the water. With the bubble wrap this does not seem to be an issue. Then, take a piece of wood or something heavy that will soak in some fluid and put Lemongrass essential oil on it. Let it soak into the block of wood and sit it beside the bucket, bin, bowl (not in the water but beside the water dish) where you want the bees to go to get their water. Reason for this is lemongrass essential oil puts out a scent that is similar to honey bee pheromone. This is what is used in swarm traps for folks that want to catch a wild honey bee swarm vs buying honeybees. This will draw the bees to the water you have put out for bees vs your birds water. If all goes well then you have killed two birds with one stone. (No pun intended.)

Luckily I don’t have bee allergies, but I think I will still want to suit up. You have been so helpful. Thank you.

A great deal of folks wear suits when keeping bees especially if they know they have bee allergies. I do not wear a bee suit at all. I found it was a huge waste of money. The only thing I do wear special when I go to get into my hive is the 5 mil Nitrile powder free gloves. This is just in case I should accidentally squish a honeybee under my fingers while getting out the frames lol. The only other tool I have besides my hive tool that I keep is an Epipen. Even though a person is not allergic to bees. That can change with one sting from any bee at any time. You can not be allergic one second your whole life and then suddenly you are. There is no way to tell until it happens so an epipen is a must if you ever plan to keep bees. I do not use a smoker. You will read a lot that say "The smoke calms the bees" this is BS. What is does is it puts the bees in a state of panic (OH SHIT FIRE!) and they run down in the hive and start gorging themselves on their food storage ie (honey) just incase they should have to move in a hurry if the hive should catch on fire. Since it will be a year before I get honey I do not have a honey extractor. Last thing I wanted was a "garage ornament" for a year before it was needed.

Sorry for the long reply but just wanted to try and help out.

Best Regards,
Chris Q.