[The Soap Pixie]

Is this common knowledge that I just don't have or is this just an oddity?

My bees are attracted to running water. We have a bird bath that the bees never gravitate to but the moment we turn on water they are all there. First it was the hose when I was washing my car, then it was the the hose when I washed my bike. Then it was the rain barrel when hubby was draining it.

It isn't my imagination either. It has been reported that the bees like the neighbors pond with waterfall but doesn't seem to appear at neighbor bird feeders.

I could literally shut off the hose and let the ground dry up and the bees would go away and then I'd turn the hose on and it was as if they heard me and they immediately returned. :scratch:

Contemplating putting in a pond that runs myself to keep them away from the neighbors.

 

[mike haney]

a steady drip works good. use a pie pan full of rocks and let your hose drip into it. good luck,mike

 

[cow pollinater]

I lean a concrete stepping stone up against a leaky faucet and then add a little lemon scent. It stays fresh enough that they stick with it. When I irrigate they will move to the fresh water but as soon as it's gone they go right back to the concrete.

 

[beez2010]

Yes, bees are attracted to running water just like birds and other animals are. In nature, running water is fresh water. It sounds like a stream, so they all come running. (or buzzing)

Chris Harvey

www.thewarrestore.com

 

[Swobee]

I know they sure seem to line the stream edges in our backyard pond. The waterfall keeps the water moving and it's not uncommon to also see birds and an occasional squirrel drinking from the stream. Along the more stagnant edges, there are some bees but not as many. I like the theory of moving water is like a natural stream meaning fresh water. Now, the neighbor with the inground pool gets some bee action also. I told him they were coming from one or all of the three feral colonies I know of in trees within a few blocks of our homes. I suppose they could be coming from the hive in our back yard, but he doesn't know about that one, only the feral ones.