How to repel or eradicate nuisance Honeybees?

This response is just to tide you over until the experts chime in.

Having just finished "bee school", this is one of the things we were warned about and asked to take responsibility for. Bees need water, and if a beekeeper next door to a swimming pool fails to provide water for his bees, what you are seeing is going to happen and it gives beekeeping a black eye. We were told to be sure we have an appropriate water supply close to our hives to discourage them from visiting the pool.

It may be that one of your beekeeping neighbors is not doing this. Contact them in a friendly manner and explain your problem. If they need to supply water, the fix is simple. But this is also "swarm season." Overcrowded hives make a new queen, then half the colony leaves looking for a new home. If one of their hive swarmed, it may have settled in close to you, and does not have water. Any good beekeeper hates seeing bees go to waste like this. If there is a swarm established near you, there are usually beekeepers expert at and eager to capture them. Your beekeeping neighbors either do this or likely know someone who does. Some local beekeeping organizations have response networks set up for just this purpose. So have a friendly chat with both beekeepers and see if they won't point you in the right direction.

If you can manage to follow these bees back to their source, it would be useful, but that's harder to do than spotting a "Golden Snitch." Bees are smaller and harder to see.

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Golden_Snitch

Thanks for the responses. As I have mentioned I have already talked to one and haven't seen the other yet. Hoping to see him this weekend. I'll even thank those of you for the somewhat ugly sounding replies. BTW, setting out poison is not a crime. I'm not aware of any laws in NC against killing honey bees.

Lol, did someone seriously say I can't have a pool and enjoy it because someone else had bees. Is that the mindset of this site? If so have the admin delete my account. I'm sure my neighbors are not as irresponsible or ugly to think like that.

My wife is the only one that got stung so far, but my kids are too afraid to go near it. Changing it to chemicals is not in the cards. I'm not looking for added expenses of constant chemicals, testing and fighting algae. I've already invested in the saltwater system.

Thanks again for the constructive replies.

I understand your problem. I have bees and a pool they are about 25 yards from each other. The bees were using the top of the winter cover for their water source until this past weekend when I took it off. I also have a birdbath 5 yards from the hive that they ignored. What I am doing is as soon as I took the winter cover off I put about a 2ft dia. shallow container filled with gravel and water on the side of the pool where they mostly congregated to drink and very slowly about 2ft every 2 hrs or when I think about it, move it towards the hives and birdbath.. I'm halfway there and have no bees at my pool and they are using that container exclusively. You may have to put a winter type cover over your pool for a few days to get this done but it is doable. You also may have to add salt to that water in the container. on a side not my pool is a chlorine pool. I'm sure any decent neighbor/beekeeper for that matter would be willing to help out and understand your situation.. Hope this helps.

As your pool has become somewhat unusable, how about this? Drain it for a few days and let the bees find some other source (they must, & will).

This spring my bees found an over turned grass catcher, from my John Deere mower, was collecting rain water. They were using it by the dozens at a time - more and more every day.

I didn't mind until the location became a bit too much "in the way", so I drained it and moved it about 20' closer to the hives. I set up a jug of water to keep the basin wet. That was 2 weeks ago, and they are still refusing to use the same catcher in the new location. They obviously found another source. I'll admit, I'm a bit disappointed that they don't like my "moved" offering, but they are a bit unpredictable in that way. They appear to have begun using my wife's flower pot drain trays, way out front, though in far fewer numbers.

Bottom line - if you can drain your new pool, and leave it dry for a few days, they MIGHT (most likely) just find another source.

'Sorry for the inconvenience - 'just trying to help in a simple constructive way.

Jake, first I think you are misrepresenting much of what I have said. Secondly I don't think you understand the severity of the problem by your rude "lazy...." comment. If it were as simple as skimming our a couple bees flying around it would be no issue. I would use poison only as a last resort, I thought I was clear on that (and no I wouldn't do anything as devious as some would imply like putting on camo going into someone yard and destroying their work). I tried to prequalified my statements by saying I have no problem or ill will towards bees. Perhaps I came of as callous or rude given this is a beekeeper site. If I did, my apologies, my frustration level is high. Heck with my 2 neighbors keeping and talking about them I have often thought of keeping them myself, but the wife isn't into it. Have a friend in Colfax that keeps them also.

You are correct in that these may not be my neighbors bees. Given the close proximity and direction they come and go I could make a great assumption. I have no issues with my neighbors, and have no problem with them keeping bees. I've been to both their homes. Had numerous dinners and outings with one set of them, and worked with the other. One is a good friend and the other I have always had a good associations with, so the impression that their would be some major neighborhood squabble or war is ridiculous. Although whenever I can get up with him, perhaps he will come by hang out and we can do some shooting. Target shooting! He was quite interested in some of the guns we were shooting one day and has yet to come down a shoot with us.

Again maybe I was less than clear in my original post. If so I apologize as my intentions were to get advice on what I might be able to do to deter them. I was hoping to get input from other beekeepers before bothering either neighbor. I don't think either have water out for their hives, so perhaps it is as simple as them just putting out water.

Thanks to those so far with some of the advice. Maybe there is no magic solution that will keep them away. We have tried the vinegar in a bucket, but they like the pool better. Soap seems to kill them and doesn't run them off. I can cover it at night, but the kids are up at 9 or 10 and ready to swim.

One quick question if I'm still welcome here. I assume bees go in at night, what time do they go in? I'd say the wife and I killed over 100 bees over 30 minutes this evening just to get it clear enough for the kids. We had to maintain the killing and probably killed an additional 30 or so until about 7:15 then there were only a few around and they were less aggressive. The bats come out about 7:30 and lightening bugs shortly thereafter.

Soapy water absolutely kills bees. Millions were dispatched that way in that New Jersey truck wreck a few weeks back. Hopefully a better solution can be found.

Bees go home about sunset, and usually start sending out a few scouts around sunrise, with the foragers getting frisky around when the sun hits the hive entrance. They use the sun to navigate. You may occasionally find one hanging out overnight if their planning was bad, but probably not flying.

Somebody here mentioned using a sprinkler to quiet their bees during a backyard picnic. A fine water spray is harmless to them but may get them out of the area temporarily, and may even be fun for the kids.

If you are right and the bees don't have water at their apiaries, that's the simple fix. We use a small poultry waterer for ours, but there are a lot simple and affordable options. Like someone said above, ours has rocks in it for the bees to land on so they don't drown. Some minerals in the water are probably to their liking ... bees like "dirty water." They will fly 200 yards and more to find water but, being sensible little insects, will usually prefer a source close to home.

I don't know the NC beekeeping regulations. In WV where our hives are, providing water, and specifically providing water to keep bees from using neighborhood swimming pools, is a responsibility of beekeepers. I would not be surprised to find guidelines or rules to this effect in NC. In any case, this is standard "bee stewardship." If they give you an argument, tell 'em I said so. But there is no reason for much argument ... bees should be provided water near their hives if you want healthy bees.