Swimming Pool Question

[Michael Palmer]

I received this question from a man in Mexico. Has anyone ever found a solution that works?

_____________________________

I saw your web page and had a question for you.

I live in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

We have a community pool that’s infested with bees coming to drink the water and none of us can swim in it.

How can I get them to go somewhere else?

I was thinking of putting a tarp over the pool for a few days so they can’t get to the pool water and then maybe they’ll find another source, of which there are plenty.

I can’t seem to find a bee keeper around here otherwise I’d have them come out and assist.

Any other suggestions?

I live semi in the hills so I am assuming the hive is back there somewhere. Maybe I could put some big barrels of water back there. But I know bees are really smart and they’ve honed in on my pool.

Anyway, do you have any suggestions?

Thank you!

Tom Law

[beegee]

I've heard it explained that bees are using the chlorine scent to communicate the water source to other bees. I don't know, but I do know that bes love swimming pools. I've used a bird bath with gravel and spiked the water with Honey-B-Healthy and a little sugar to get them attracted to it.

[Barry Digman]

Michael, Michael, Michael....


The man is in Cabo. You're in Vermont. How's the weather there in St. Albans between say, December and February? How do you suppose the weather in Cabo is during that time? (See where this is going?)

Mr. Law doesn't know it but he has a very unique and potentially dangerous situation that only YOU can remedy.
In person.
In the dead of winter.
All expenses paid....

[BigDaddyDS]

Geez... next I can see Jim Fischer suggesting that he fills the pool with Bee Quick!

DS

[Dan Williamson]

I had a pool 100 yards from 30 or so hives plus 40-50 mating nucs last year. We had NO problems with bees. Here is what we did...

I do NOT open the pool until June AFTER I move bees back to the home yard from blueberries. I give them 1-2 weeks to train to a water supply (my neighbors pond 250 yrs from the hives). We then open up the pool and put a cover over it when not in use.

The bees literally fly past the pool to get to the pond. If we did not keep the pool covered I think we would have a problem.

[MichelinMan]

Dan:

Re: " I do NOT open the pool until June AFTER I move bees back to the home yard from blueberries. I give them 1-2 weeks to train to a water supply (my neighbors pond 250 yrs from the hives)"

This man is in Mexico. Waiting for June to open the pool is silly. Besides he is not the bee keeper.

Once bees have become habituated to a water source they will use it even if another water source is found closer to the hive. This man does not know where the hive is or the beekeeper. So he is on his own. He needs to lure them away somehow. If the bees are collecting water it probably to cool the hive so maybe well diluted scented sugar water in their flight path would work.

[Dan Williamson]

Dan:

Re: " I do NOT open the pool until June AFTER I move bees back to the home yard from blueberries. I give them 1-2 weeks to train to a water supply (my neighbors pond 250 yrs from the hives)"

This man is in Mexico. Waiting for June to open the pool is silly. Besides he is not the bee keeper.

Once bees have become habituated to a water source they will use it even if another water source is found closer to the hive. This man does not know where the hive is or the beekeeper. So he is on his own. He needs to lure them away somehow. If the bees are collecting water it probably to cool the hive so maybe well diluted scented sugar water in their flight path would work.

Michelin Man,

I know he lives in Mexico.... He could possible take the part of the advice of keeping the cover on the pool when not in use. I also add the additional information so that folks can take my advice with a grain of salt. Every location is different. I give as much information so that people can know the whole story. That way they can decide if the my opinion applies to their particular situation or not. To much info gets passed around here on Beesource with out all the background.

More info is better than less sometimes.

Frankly it doesn't matter where the bees are or where the beekeeper is... I do nothing with the hives. The only action I take is with the pool. Keep the pool covered when not in use. PERIOD. They'll never have a chance to get trained there.

[MichelinMan]

Dan,

"Frankly it doesn't matter where the bees are or where the beekeeper is... I do nothing with the hives. The only action I take is with the pool. Keep the pool covered when not in use. PERIOD. They'll never have a chance to get trained there."

You`re absolutely right. All the work needs to be done at the pool area, and so not being the beekeeper is not a factor. I guess I misunderstood your intention and just got caught up in "June" pool opening. Hope I didn`t offend.