Honey Bee Drinking Water

Cordovan honey bee worker collecting water

Honey bees collect four substances, nectar to turn into honey for their food source, pollen as a protein source to rear the baby bees, propolis to seal crevices and coat the inside of the hive with an antimicorobrial coating, and water to mix with the baby bees' food and also to cool the hive.

A clean supply of water is absolutely essential for the operation of a honeybee colony. Bees use water for cooling the hive by evaporation, and for thinning honey to be fed to larva. Bees collecting water is almost as common a sight as bees on flowers. A strong hive on a hot day can use over a quart of water a day, this occupies 800 workers each making up to 50 trips to the water hole a day.

To provide water for bees, one can create a honeybee water garden. A small pond or waterproof container can be planted with floating plants like water hyacinth, salvinia, or azolla, which give the bees a secure platform from which to take a drink. These plants also purify the water so the bees always have fresh water. If bees ever become a nuisance in swimming pools or other water features, a small pond with these plants can often attract the bees away from the problem area, as they seem to prefer these more natural watering holes.