[Cameron Daley]

I suppose I could just wait a few months and learn for myself, but I thought I'd be better off tapping into this community for some "expert" advice.

My first package of bees will be arriving in about three weeks. I have prepared a spot for the hive that is about 7 feet away from a canal that runs down my property line. The canal is about 3-4 feet deep and about 5 feet across. It is not lined in concrete or anything. it has dirt and mud canal banks and is surrounded by trees and miscellaneous shrubbery. I don't feel like the canal would be considered "fast moving" or "swift", but it's definitely not stagnant either. We also have a significantly smaller "ditch" that runs across our opposite property line. It is about 18 inches deep and 3 feet across, again, surrounded by tall grass and shrubs.

My question is, will my bees use either one of these as their water source naturally or do I have to worry about them choosing my chicken waterer just because it isn't a moving body of water?

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

Welcome to Beesource!

Be prepared for the bees to like the chicken waterer. At least initially, the canal water will likely be cold, compared to the chicken water. And the canal water may not have a distinctive smell, either.

 

[Cameron Daley]

So the bees WANT a digestive smell? Do the bees tend to prefer water sources that are a certain distance away from the hive? If so, what's the distance?

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

Sorry, in post #2 my spellchecker converted "distinctive" to "digestive" and I didn't notice. Yes, water sources that have a distinctive smell are often preferred over "clean" water.

Chlorine water, compost water, manure in muddy fields all have distinctive odors, and the bees don't care what humans think of them.

 

[beepro]

Do bees take fresh water with lemongrass smells in it too?