Honey Bee Sanctuary - NOT!

[Mimi13]

They chicken out too quick!

Absolutely. In a New York minute!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

We have had fewer bees this year too. I heard there is a local bee association that will come out and set up bees on your property. I'm going to look into this in the spring. I think they come and take them away before the winter freeze, but I'm not positive about that.

That is a great idea! We had very few bees here in WV too this year, so i need to look up if there's a local beekeeper association here.

 

[Mimi13]

I heard there is a local bee association that will come out and set up bees on your property.

This reminds me of the people who rent chickens out. I could never rent mine out.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

This reminds me of the people who rent chickens out. I could never rent mine out.

Back in Germany you can rent Runner Ducks to free your vegetable yard of snails and bugs. - Weird, my ducks would free the snails from all those pesky vegetables…

 

[Mimi13]

Back in Germany you can rent Runner Ducks to free your vegetable yard of snails and bugs. - Weird, my ducks would free the snails from all those pesky vegetables…

My luck completely!

 

[Cyprus]

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?

Yes, chickens can and will drink ACV water continuously. It is often used as a probiotic boost.

Some people swear it is a cure all, but that is hearsay not fact.

 

[ValerieJ]

This reminds me of the people who rent chickens out. I could never rent mine out.

LOL Definitely not the same thing.

 

[Mimi13]

So, this morning I contemplated all my new found choices:

• Hummingbird feeder - Couldn’t find any of the multitudes of feeders I used to have. Took them down cause I couldn’t stand the bitty birds fighting.
• Shallow pan with sugar water- Got it all set up high atop a table, even added a touch of red coloring, only to realize I already have an ant problem.

I finally put PLAIN water in a very small and shallow baking sheet with a doubled sheet of cheesecloth draped across it. I carried the pan that had all the bees in it and set it down next to the cheesecloth pan hoping the buzzy boogers would make the switch.

Currently, in addition to shutting off my water spigot, I have every other water source dumped out, even the dogs’ bowl down on my deck. Yep, the bees found it too. The chickens have access to their nipple drinkers only. No wading today. Luckily the temp isn’t as high today as it has been. I’m hoping the cheesecloth source is such a big hit the bees never look for anything else and I can put the wading tub back out for the chickens. They really love that thing. They will group up and stand in the water just like a bunch of old cows standing in a pond.

I am only speculating, since this is the first summer I’ve had this problem, there is a new beekeeper close by who has not provided his poor little honey makers with a bee pond, complete with lily pads and such. Shame on him.

 

[Mimi13]

With all the water dumped (and things dried out, bees are very persistent) from the surrounding bowls, tubs, etc., my little cheesecloth water hole is slowly drawing their attention. I placed the bricks that I’d had in the chickens’ water tub on the table alongside the pan in hopes that honey bees use pheromones like ants. An old woman can only hope, can’t she?

However, my birds are wandering around looking for their tub.

 

[chickm1]

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.

View attachment 1893335

Thank you all so very much.

Why are you worried about it? Bees will generally get their water and leave. I have bees, chickens and horses. They are not a problem,