The Chestnut trees are about to flower, and in readiness the local beekeepers have brought in their hives.
The problem is that the hive owners never think to supply their Bees with water, and as everyone knows; BEES NEED WATER.
As a result, every year the same thing happens; the Bees make a Bee-line for our old fountain (above) where we always keep water for the birds. They then take over, and use it as their personal water supply. I don't know if you can see in my photo, but they arrive in their scores; you may need to enlarge it.
The fountain is just at the north end of our pool, and frankly the amount of Bees permanently buzzing around is a bloody nuisance.
So please, you beekeepers, would you in future supply water when you bring your hives. We have taken up water to where they are positioned, but now that they know that our water is available, no doubt they will continue to come here.
It wouldn't take much, and a small amount of consideration on your behalf would makes our summer swimming much more pleasant. Thank you.
(They don't even give us any bloody honey!!!)
You should at least get some honey in exchange for kindly providing water for the bees! But now that I think about it, don't the bees help pollinate your vegetable plants and fruit trees?
ReplyDeleteToo late for our fruit trees I'm afraid. I welcome Bees into the garden, but this is crazy; there are hundreds of them all buzzing around the pool.
DeleteYou should print out this post (in French), laminate it and put it on the hives for the beekeepers.
ReplyDeleteJulie
You're probably right. We leave shallow containers of water for the Bees by their hives, so they must know that something's afoot. So far they've done nothing.
DeleteHave you asked them to put out water or suggested a few pots of honey for your trouble.
ReplyDeleteWe never see them. They often arrive in the dead of night, and only return to take them away again at night some weeks later.
DeleteWe've noticed bees visiting our bird baths this year. We've had very little rain for weeks (most unusual for Wales!) so perhaps the little river at the bottom of the hill is running low. I wouldn't know as I've not been out!
ReplyDeleteI've heard talk of hose-pipe bans in the UK. I seem to remember it rained a lot over the past 8 months... what did they do with all that water. One minute floods; the next drought.
DeleteHeavy rain just runs off, doesn't restore the water table
DeleteThere are hives in the field next to us but we have never noticed the bees around our bird baths or the pond. Just all over our flowers. Perhaps they have their own water supply somewhere nearby.
ReplyDeleteUsually the beekeepers make provision. Our lot are a bit more 'relaxed'.
DeleteWell, Cro, set to the tune that no one ever promised you a rose garden, if it's not a snake it's a buzz in your paradise.
ReplyDeleteU
I emptied the fountain water this morning, and put a large water-filled flat container elsewhere. They seem to have discovered it, and there are a lot less now.
DeleteI can't say I knew that I knew bees needed water to drink, but I would have thought beekeepers would know.
ReplyDeleteThey DO KNOW, but fail to act. We've had this same problem now for about 15 years; since we've had the pool.
DeleteIt sounds to me like they think "that mug/person with the swimming pool will give them water" and don't bother.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that's the case.
DeleteHopefully you solved the problem or, at least, minimized it.
ReplyDeleteThey've come back a bit, but a lot less than yesterday. It's a pity we didn't know they were bringing them; we would have put their water out in advance.
DeleteI'd be terrified to go near the pool! And you'd think they'd at least offer a jar or two of honey in return. Just before lockdown I had treated myself to a small - and very expensive - jar of chestnut honey (from Italy) - it is very different tasting - almost a slight bitterness mixed with the sweet and it is lovely.
ReplyDeleteChestnut honey isn't to everyone's taste, which is why it's often given away by the hive owners. They have too much (this is a huge Chestnut growing area), and find it difficult to sell. I rather like that dark bitterness.
DeleteWe put out large flat dishes of water and pebbles, so that they may drink without the risk of drowning
ReplyDeleteGood point, GZ, not least because, such is their community spirit, when one bee is drowning their co-workers will come to their rescue, often drowning themselves.
DeleteU
We do exactly that, with dishes away from the pool. Flat dishes with stones, filled daily.
DeleteI am not a bee keeper, I prefer to keep cees amd dees. However my favourite is the rare zed that I keep in a special hutch protected by CCTV cameras.
ReplyDeleteYou would! However, I expect most people up your way keep Eees; their always mentioning their Eee by gums.
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