Watering honey bees

Epona · Post by **Epona** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 9:09 pm

Went out to do evening chores, swarms of honey bees all over the bird water buckets and livestock tanks. So I kicked over the water buckets to prevent drowning and the buckets on their sides left a decent ponding of water in the buckets. Couldn't do much about tanks. Can't waste that kind of water. So I rescued the swimmers and placed little cans of water along edge of tank. Amazing how all the birds and animals stayed away from the areas. Everything is stressing from this damn drought.

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 10:28 pm

I have put out shallow dishes with pebbles in them for bumblebees and butterflies, they seem to come in droves, also put out a large black water dish beside the lilly pond for the crows, they seem to come every morning and evening looking for water.
The creek at the back looks like so much green porridge, the muskrats and herons seem to like it, but the ducks have left and who can blame them, I am starting to be more selective about what to water, getting a bit desperate for rain here.

Epona · Post by **Epona** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 10:53 pm

My gardens are dying. We are just trying to save the young trees we have planted. And ration our well. Going to have to buy water in soon. Our small cistern for plants etc isn't going to last much longer

Jaye · Post by **Jaye** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 7:04 am

Hubby has promised me to finally get the rain barrels set up today before the rain that is forecast for tonight arrives.

They haven't been set up for the season yet because there's been too much else that wound up higher on the priority list, but I think he agrees now that it is a high priority, given the drought here. It never occurred to me to put out water for the wildlife. Thanks for posting this. I'll be putting out some dishes of water along the tree line hopefully to help them out a little.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 7:53 am

My rain barrels have been empty for the season. Very little rain so far. Very frustrating. We're on a cistern and these vegetables are expensive veggies this season. Grrrrr

I have a waterer for the bees with pebbles so they don't drown but I saw them on the chicken feeders yesterday despite that.

Bayvistafarm · Post by **Bayvistafarm** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 1:03 pm

Those little waterers for chicks... the small ones, for quail/keets... do just fine for bees. They can't really get in it to drown, and if they do get in, they can get back out. We use one of them also... and one of those florist blocks sitting in a tub that suck up water. The bees just crawl on that, and suck it up.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 1:11 pm

That's what I'm using BVF .. I saw at your place when I was there. I put a few pebbles in so they can walk and drink if they want :)

Shnookie · Post by **Shnookie** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 1:31 pm

My neighbor used to put an old cake pan on the ground with about an inch of water and a board floating in it. The bees would line up at the edge of the board to drink.

Sorry to tell you that we have had rain every other day for the past week or so. I was going to put in a garden but it hasn't been dry enough to work on. Must be making up for the lack of snow last winter.