Water source

[Mikey N.C.]

How many use well water as opposed to treatment water plant water, for bird baths ,sugar water ?

[brooksbeefarm]

I have 9 outyards and they all have ponds, creeks, or rivers with in a quarter of a mile or less of there hives. Jack

[apisbees]

Use whatever water you have, the level of chlorination in treated water is extremely low. Bees will often go after water from a swimming pool (which has a lot higher rate of chlorination) than fresh water supplied for them.

[Jen]

Oh Quit Bragging Jack! 

Mikey, I live in the city limits and use tap water for most everything. Been keeping for 7 years now and the bees seem to be just fine.

Also, during the summer, a good water souce for bees is one of those soak hoses. just stretch it across the yard and turn the faucet on enough to get the hose moist. Doesn't raise our water bill at all. It was a nice way to get water to my bees during the Calif draught.

[apisbees]

I agree with every thing Jen said... Except the first sentence... "Oh Quit Bragging Jack!  "
Keep bragging, it gives the rest of us a level of perfection to achieve too.

[Mikey N.C.]

Jen, like the soaker hose idea, you could make your own with holes where you needed them. Was curious as what is used,Especially in urban,city and wondering if water could be a problem too,( as far as deadouts?)

[apisbees]

Our municipal water has been treated for over a 100 years. If it was a problem it would have come to light before now.

[Mikey N.C.]

Just a thought, seems to be a complex situation , just thought water could somehow be in the ingredients ?

[CBT]

I use well water for syurp because they use something other than chlorine to treat town water here.

[Bakersdozen]

I use treated city water for feeding.
In an effort to keep the bees out of a neighbor's hot tub (which doesn't work all the time) I keep a small bird bath in the sun.  The dirtier the water, the more they seem to like it.  We also have a city lake next door. 
Yesterday afternoon I moved some seedlings from starter trays into larger pots and the garden.  My bees were persistent about eating or drinking from the seedling starter trays.  The potting soil was saturated from rain water.  They seemed most interested in the oldest ones that were started back in February.  So, the older the better?

[riverbee]

well water mikey, it' all we have in the country where my bees are kept and a river close by............best water there is on the planet (well water), and better than our city suburb res...........in the city suburb, we buy bottled water for drinking and use a water purifier for coffee etc in.....sad but true.  reality is bees will go to any water there is available. if there is any pool nearby.........bees will be in it.........or a larger birdbath.........running hose, mister, whatever to them seems to be their 'go to water'..........

[apisbees]

Another source of moisture for the bees is morning dew on plants and grass.
They can also get water through Guttation and Transpiration as plants sweating.
http://grist.org/living/plants-sweat-and-its-beautiful/
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycletranspiration.html
These are process that have not had sufficient studies done about how contaminated this moisture is when the plant has been treated with neonicotinoid pesticides.

[rigacci]

We have a well and soften the water with Potassium Salts. That also feeds the garden and birdbaths (Bee bath as well).

On a hot day here in Florida I often see 2 dozen or more bees drinking away.

I want to tap off the line before the softener and use that (at some point). Dummy plumber did not do as I ask and piped all the bibs outside together with the indoor plumbing...

[apisbees]

Whats the question? just do it. Although the softened water will not harm the bees, It Dose not need to be softened for them The birds the lawns or garden either. not to mention the cost to treat that water.

[neillsayers]

I use treated city water for feeding.
In an effort to keep the bees out of a neighbor's hot tub (which doesn't work all the time) I keep a small bird bath in the sun.  The dirtier the water, the more they seem to like it.  We also have a city lake next door. 
Yesterday afternoon I moved some seedlings from starter trays into larger pots and the garden.  My bees were persistent about eating or drinking from the seedling starter trays.  The potting soil was saturated from rain water.  They seemed most interested in the oldest ones that were started back in February.  So, the older the better?

So right! During drought last year i had waterers all over the bee yard. They ignored it and went for the mud puddle in the driveway!

[capt44]

I keep buckets of water out for the bees year round.
They'll use mud puddles, creeks, water line leaks, just about any source of water.
I use well water that has a high Sulphur content.
The bees don't care.
You put city water out the chlorine will evaporate in a short time.
If you put beer out for them look out, they'll get to dive bombing you.

[neillsayers]

If you put beer out for them look out, they'll get to dive bombing you.

Nothing worse than a swarm of drunk bees!

[riverbee]

"During drought last year i had waterers all over the bee yard. They ignored it and went for the mud puddle in the driveway! "

bees like the junkiest water they can find or your swimming pool, give them clean water, they will ignore it.  i swear there is something about their communication i think to tell their sisters where the water source is.....they can give directions but can't offer a sample of 'this is what you need to find' if it's 'too clean with no 'smell' in it or other olfactory "descriptions' for them to find............add something to the clean water and this changes. but they will still go to mud puddles, gutters, planters, garden mud puddles/dirt, dew on anything and swimming pools.........

[tecumseh]

Here in Texas water and bees is not a issue you want to ignore.  When I look for a new apiary site the first think I want to know is does the site have a permanent source of water.  The tap water here is not that great but my girls seem to have no problem with it when delivered in the form of syrup.  The salt (not sodium chloride) seem to make the syrup slightly more desirable.

and a snip...
Our municipal water has been treated for over a 100 years. If it was a problem it would have come to light before now.

you do know that all the folks that started drinking that stuff are now dead???  in some places in Texas folks brag.... drink the beer but don't drink the water and it ain't because the beer is that great.