Water for bees

[East Texas Pine Rooter]

I have an a well house on the farm. It is made out of concrete blocks, with a concrete 36-inch round tile. the well has a concrete cover with a hole where the pipe was that wend down to the water. the walls of the well house does not have a cover, which is open to the stars. I'm planning on putting my first hive on the concrete lid. There is a pond, 100-yards away from the well house. Is that to far away for the bees, or do i need to move them closer to a water sorce?will the bees go down into the well for water? the water is only about 18-feet down. I have numerous springs on the place where i could locate them. the reason for putting them on top of the well is for the ---- wild hogs we have roaming the woods.

[James Urbish]

Your first swarm will build in the well entering thru the pipe hole I bet. For years I have worked on rice field water well controls and motors . many of them had bees in the well caseing. when you start the well the head level in the caseing would drop fast causeing the bees to be sucked into the well. When you turn the well off you had better not be in front of that small hole. a steam of bees would be blown out of that hole until the water level had equalized. It is something to see I never was stung and the bees were never mean even during this trama. I think they will find plenty of water in your area. just dont put them where there is possiblity of flooding. If you set a trap you could get pork and honey. Wild hog is lean and just about the best eating out there. Take a 100 pound hog skin gut take off the head cut out the whole loin down to the ribs on both sides season put on the pit at about 225 for 2-3 hours cover with honey barbq sauce for about 10 min remove and feast.

[Michael Bush]

Water 100 yards away is plenty close. I would worry about the swarms, but you can close off any openings with #8 hardware cloth to keep them out.