Any beekeeper knows that a timely and regular drinking regimen plays an important role in maintaining proper metabolism and normal existence for bees. A drinking bowl for bees is such a device in which you can always find warm and clean water, which is so necessary for the life of these tireless workers - honey producers.
Is it possible?
Beekeeper beginners do not know, and sometimes, perhaps, do not want to burden themselves with additional costs for the purchase and construction of these drinkers. They consider natural reservoirs located near the apiary to be a sufficient condition for satisfying the vital drinking needs of bees. It is noticed that sometimes striped in search of water can fly even long distances. But in the future, because of this, a significant minus will definitely manifest itself, which will not allow keeping the bee colonies intact: from the extra energy spent on flights to saturate the body with water, bees may die, which, accordingly, will entail losses in beekeeping.
And even a bee drinker finally built after reading usefulliterature and listening to the advice of experienced beekeepers is unlikely to help you at first. Bees that have previously flown to the watering hole along the same route will have a hard time getting used to the new place. According to the experience of specialists, sometimes this is practically impossible to do, and then the beekeepers, again, will probably fail.
You need to know
You ask how to accustom bees to a drinker? Here are some suggestions to follow.
- Firstly, it is necessary to start purchasing or building a drinking bowl before the onset of warm days, so that the bees immediately discover this innovation with the advent of the new working season.
- Secondly, it is better to place bee drinkers on the sunny side so that the water in them warms up enough, and not at the intersection with the main direction of flight of bee colonies.
- Thirdly, in order to achieve an effective result faster, honeycombs should be laid out near the drinking device, and the water itself should also be slightly sweetened.
Varieties of drinkers
The following types of drinkers are distinguished by purpose: general use and individual. For their manufacture, materials such as wood, metal, glass, as well as ordinary plastic and plastic are used. In specialized stores, you can quite inexpensively purchase ready-made designs of drinkers with an interesting design. The ceramic drinker for bees is worthy of attention of buyers. Water from the faucet here drops into a tray made in the form of a cone. The groove is made in the form of a spiral, along which it flows down in a trickle.
Homemade drinkers
But still, let's try to assemble the drinker on our own, especially since all the tools at hand needed to create it are literally “rolling around” under our feet. A do-it-yourself designed drinking bowl for bees is a flight of your imagination, and besides, a considerable saving of your budget. So let's get started. First, you need to decide: a drinking bowl for bees, what will it be?
For example, there is such a simple device that is made of a stainless steel container with a mortise tap. It is enough to adapt an inclined board to it, in which small grooves are cut, and supply water through them. Its spreading drops will attract numerous swarms of bees.
Here's another good example of how to build a fairly light and effective drinker. Pour water into a regular glass jar. We put on the lid, in which we drill several holes and turn it over, while placing it on the pallet. The glass of the jar will heat up from the sun's rays, the water will be constantly warm, which is important for the bees. The advantage of such a drinker over the rest is that this design does not require financial costs. It can be easily installed near each hive, but, of course, it is necessary to add water in time and disinfect the container and tray.
Valveless drinker for remote apiary
But what if the apiary is located far from your home, and you do not have the opportunity to constantly monitor it? In this caseThe creation of a valveless drinker will help you solve the problem of constant water supply. The idea is this.
Water is poured into a large container with a pipe connected to it. Water pipes laid along the hives must also be connected to it. An additional small tube with a screw cap is welded to each end of the pipe. To prevent air plugs from forming in the system when it is filled with water, it is necessary to trace the tightness of their closure. Thus, water can be brought to each bee house, even if they are placed at different heights.
Determining what's best
How to make a drinking bowl for bees, you now know. Yes, it may not be a purchase option at all. Although it seems that it is easier to come to the store, pay and pick up the purchase. But no, let's not look for easy ways and spend money on something that can be easily done with our own hands.
Maybe your homemade bee drinker will not be as beautiful as in the store, but, as we know, the result is important in any business. Gaining experience in caring for smart and hardworking bees, you yourself will find a design option that is suitable for your apiary and, with your ingenuity, create an even more unusual and effective drinker.
