Checking the Water Source
Arbeiten am Bienenstand
During the season, a colony collects water to mix brood food and to cool the brood nest.
During the season, a colony collects water to mix brood food and to cool the brood nest. About 200 grams a day is given as a rough figure, considerably more on hot days, adding up to several dozen liters over the year. If there is no source nearby, the bees will get their water where it causes trouble, at the neighbor's pool or the livestock trough.
A good watering spot is shallow, has landing surfaces of gravel, moss, or wood, stands in a sunny, wind-protected spot, and never fully dries out. Clean water matters, because contaminants are carried into the colony along with it.
It is important to offer the spot early in the year and close to the apiary. The longer the flight, the more trips are used up just fetching water. Anyone who only reacts once the neighbor complains is too late.