Honey Bee Sanctuary - NOT!

[Mimi13]

I know the honey bee is very important for agriculture, however, I am at my wits end with these things. Every where I have water for my birds the honey bees have taken over. So far the only place I haven’t seen them is on the nipple drinkers. I’m surprised though because that would be the safest place for them to get water...no fear of drowning there.

They swarm my spigot, the automatic waterer and the birds’ water hole (where they stand and cool off.) Today there were literally 20-30 honey bees flying all around it with 10 or so along the edges and about 10 that had drowned. I dumped it. My birds can’t or just don’t get around it while the honey bees are there so THWI. If my birds can’t enjoy it, neither will the bees.

I actually moved it about 20 feet away and filled it back up and put a little dog dish with water and a rock in it back where the water tub originally was. The bees aren’t swarming the dog bowl yet because there’s a lot of water on the ground still. My poor girls though. I don’t want them to have to hunt for their water every day. It has been hot and dry here so I understand, but really?

Fire ants (ants in general) have been my biggest pest, but these honey bees are slowly moving up.

The ants I kill, the bees I can’t. Any ideas how to combat? I can’t do away with the water sources, my birds have to have water.

Here is the water/wading tub and for whatever reason I’m not able to download the spigot pic. This picture is not a good representation of the number of bees, but just imagine.

Thank you all so very much.

 

[Cyprus]

You could try ACV in the water. Bees probably won't like that

 

[HuffleClaw]

Hiya!

Hmm... I would probably try ACV, too. But bees are consistent little creatures. Maybe even putting the water in your actual coop might help deter them as well.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

You say »birds«, what kind of birds do you have?
My ducks are happy if they find bees in their water or at the waterer. Bees are yummy!
What you can try is a shallow water source with a cloth or a sponge as an "island". Bees that have fallen into the water can climb out and the others will use it to suck water out of the fabric.

 

[JurassicBawk]

Bees like mineral water when it is hot and will eagerly search out swimming pools because of the chemicals. I have two hives and neighbors with pools, and I put out a small kiddie swimming pool filled with water them dump in a small mineral block (like for cows/horses to lick) and floating hay/grass for the bees to be able to get out of the water. They never bother the neighbors or my chickens. I also use my chickens to help clean out drone brood or old comb, and they will readily eat the larva, brood, and even adult bees that wonder over. Bees can't really sting through all the feathers, so they really shouldn't be too much of a concern to your chickens. I think if you gave the bees their own preferred water source they may leave the regular water alone.

 

[Chickassan]

I fill a humming bird feeder for the bees.
You don't have to put much or any sugar in it but the red of the feeder draws them.
Purple, red and white are big bee drawing colors.

 

[Mimi13]

You could try ACV in the water. Bees probably won't like that

Well now, I haven’t thought of that, but then again I’m not an ACV person. The water tub is what the chickens stand in to cool off. The chickens, as well as the dogs and cats, drink from this tub. I doubt the ACV would be bad for the chickens’ feet and I would think the dogs and cats would stay away from it simply because of the vinegary scent and taste, but wonder if it would be bad for them if they did decide to lap it up in their thirst. I’ll have to research this.

The ACV would hopefully keep the bees out of the tub of water, but it won’t be any help on the condensation that builds up on the water spigot that feeds the automatic water bowl. That well water is very cold.

Do chickens like ACV water?
Can they drink it all the time, with no breaks?
Do they need fresh water on the side?

We did finally get some rain last week and I was thinking that would offer the bees a choice of their old watering holes, but they’ve turned out in full force instead.

I think I’ll set up an experimental ACV water bowl. Hopefully the bees, dogs and cats will hate it, huh?

 

[Mimi13]

Hiya!

Hmm... I would probably try ACV, too. But bees are consistent little creatures. Maybe even putting the water in your actual coop might help deter them as well.

Oh lawd, I don’t want the varmints invading my coop!

 

[Mimi13]

You say »birds«, what kind of birds do you have?
My ducks are happy if they find bees in their water or at the waterer. Bees are yummy!
What you can try is a shallow water source with a cloth or a sponge as an "island". Bees that have fallen into the water can climb out and the others will use it to suck water out of the fabric.

All my birds are chickens and they seemed annoyed by the bees buzzing around their heads. I’ve not even noticed them trying to pluck the dead bees out of the water.

And, I can recreate your “cheesecloth” island in hopes it will draw the bees away from the chickens’ water hole.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

All my birds are chickens and they seemed annoyed by the bees buzzing around their heads. I’ve not even noticed them trying to pluck the dead bees out of the water.

And, I can recreate your “cheesecloth” island in hopes it will draw the bees away from the chickens’ water hole.

Good luck! - Strange, all chickens i have met so far - not too many, but a few, were more than happy to eat bees, wasps and even bumblebees.