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  • From: "Jim Musson" <jim AT musson.org>
  • To: <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Advice Requested: Bees @ Community Swimming Pool
  • Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 19:04:11 -0400

I have an above ground pool and 3 hives in my back yard and I can tell
you that the bees seem to prefer the pool water to other water sources
including ones we put in front of the hives. We just ignore them but I
can understand how others would find it a problem.

I would think to solve this particular problem you would need to find
the hive(s) using the pool and create an attractive water source closer
to the hive.


Jim Musson
Digital Computer Services
105 W King St Suite 201
Hillsborough NC 27278
jmusson AT digserv.com

-----Original Message-----
From: ocba-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:ocba-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Randall Austin
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2012 18:50
To: John Nicholson
Cc: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [ocba] Advice Requested: Bees @ Community Swimming Pool

John,

This is a great reminder that all beekeepers must be diligent about
being good neighbors. A big part of that is being aware of where your
bees will forage for water, and providing water if there is any chance
that they will become a nuisance. This must be done BEFORE a problem
arises, because once bees are trained on a water source, it is very
difficult to get them to switch. That's why the "trap and release" idea
simply won't work. Some people have success with putting a fairly large
barrel or kiddie pool, filled with similar water as the nuisance source,
directly in the flight-path of the rogue bees. The approach that is most
likely to work is to move the offending hives several miles away for a
month (to cycle out all the water foragers that know where the "bad"
source is), set up a bee-attractive water source in close proximity to
where the hives will be, then move them back.

On a hot summer day, a bee hive can consume as much water as a
good-sized dog. So a single hive can create problems if it is foraging
in an inappropriate place. And all it takes is one irresponsible &
inconsiderate beekeeper to paint us all with a bad brush.

The USDA Agricultural Research Service has a brochure for pool owners
with tips for keeping bees away
(http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/docs.htm?docid=11067&page=7). The
harsh reality is that from the pool owner's perspective, killing ALL of
the scouts and foragers is the only effective solution. If we beekeepers
don't like that, then we must do our part to keep our bees from causing
problems for others in the first place.

Thanks for highlighting this issue.

Randall Austin




On 7/15/2012 5:59 PM, John Nicholson wrote:
> Greeting:
>
> I live close to the Heritage Hills swimming pool in Southern Orange
> County and am hoping to serve as a liaison between the pool staff and
> members and our group of beekeepers. They have a significant bee
> "problem" at the pool that has led the staff (mainly uninformed
> teenagers) to set up traps that are pretty good at killing bees. I saw

> several drink bottles full of dead bees in the short time I was
> there....I spoke with the manager and apparently they also spray some
> kind of insecticide around the edge of the pool as well. I was
> surprised at the number of bees on Friday evening...they were all over

> everything, including frantic kids (at least one of which claimed to
> be allergic).It seemed to me that the bees were interested in the food

> more than the water in the pool.
>
> Does anyone have any advice to prevent the bees from coming in the
> first place or a way of safely trapping and releasing them? I know
> that having a water source between the pool and any hives within
> foraging distance is probably a good place to start so if you or
> anyone you know has hives in the vicinity, could you let me know we
> can at least make sure beekeepers in the area of aware of the issue?
>
> Many Thanks,
>
> John
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