[GABE]

My daughter asked me this because she knows I keep bees. I don't have an answer so I am posting the question.
Where she lives she is surrounded by agricultural land (mostly Avocodos) and most of the owners have hives and there are some very healthy feral hives also. Her new swimming pool has become the watering hole for many many bees - her hot tub constantly looks like a swarm is hanging over it.
Is there anything practical that she can do to keep the bees away?

 

[SilverFox]

IHMO: Give them a source of water away from her hot-tub, a bird bath a bucket with sticks in it under a dripping facet. May put a little lemon grass oil in it. Just my ideas.

 

[power napper]

Wow, thats a tough one. It is tough to get bee to change their drinking or watering hole. If multiple bee yards are in the vacinity it is even tougher. If only one bee yard is nearby just talk to the owner or leave a note attatched to hives abouit the dilemma. Maybe just a bee yard watering troiugh or barrel will help remedy the situation. Just my opinion.

 

[Joel]

The bees are going to use the closest source so contact the beekeepers and let them know you're problem. I'm betting they will resolve it quickly just like any of would if they were ours.

 

[Michael Bush]

I'd vote for the birdbath with a few drops of lemongrass essential oil in it. Scent seems to be what helps the bees recruit more water carriers and, IMO why chlorinated swimming pools and really smelly run off from manure are both equally popular with bees hauling water.

Lemongrass oil is a smell hard for the bees to ignore.

 

[Barry Digman]

A friend has the same problem with an outdoor hot tub. There are several water sources on the same piece of property, all within 100' of the tub. Fresh city water, ditch water, standing nasty water. For some reason they just prefer the hot tub water, and I'm assuming the chemical smell is the culprit. I'm betting the lemon grass smell would trump the chemicals.

 

[GABE]

Thanks

She is going to pin a note on the hive closest to her pool. I hope the bee's keeper helps her out.