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By tracieh
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Posts:  422
Joined:  Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:30 pm
#419384
I have a tote with a bunch of tall pots in it. One pot has a ton of bees on the surface constantly. I thought they were just thirsty. Husband seems to think there is an underground hive. Anyone dealt with an issue like this?Image

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By MikeB
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Joined:  Sat Apr 25, 2020 4:13 pm
#419429
They look like honeybees, and that species doesn't make underground hives (too wet, especially in a flytrap pot). Also, if there was an underground hive, you'd see a hole with a mound of dirt around it. Those bees may just be fond of the peaty water that they get from your pot.
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By Intheswamp
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Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm
#419437
If there is an underground hive with more than one or two bees going into it be very careful as you will most likely be looking at a yellowjacket nest...not honeybees, bumbles, or solitary bees. But, as Mike said, that'd be too wet for an underground nest. I have honeybees frequent my pots that have sphagnum moss as a top dressing. I've seen them make something and pile it up on the top of the moss...it looks like very tiny bright yellow balls...it's the color of goldenrod pollen, but that's not what it is. It almost look like tiny balls of honeybee poop...seriously. There's "something" there that they're getting...I'm not sure what it is, but they sure are persistent in getting it! :D Just to be sure...the tote has water standing in it and isn't dry, right?
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By steve booth
Posts:  1221
Joined:  Mon Jul 18, 2011 11:15 am
#419451
I have thousands of them doing the same thing, they are honey bees and they are drinking. Once they find a place to drink and it is constantly wet they return regularly, The hive is elsewhere, you are helping them in their daily routine, if they don't have a reliable local water supply they have to expend valuable energy to find it elsewhere.

Cheers
Steve
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By Intheswamp
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Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm
#419456
Yes, the bees are definitely drinking the water but something there attracts them. It seems that you can have a pristine, crystal clear source of water and the honeybees will ignore it and instead head to the muddy stompings around a cattle watering trough for their water! :lol: Seriously. I think there's minerals or something that they seek along with the water. By the way, all those honeybees you see around the plants are females...the males (drones) lounge around the hive, begging for food, and hoping that a new queen needs a boyfriend. The females do all the work and in the middle of the nectar flow may live only six weeks before they work themselves to death, literally dropping from the air exhausted. Honeybee colonies are an incredible macro-organism. When winter arrives the females that are alive often times will physically toss the kicking and screaming males out into the cold to die. Us guys need to take heed of this!!!! :shock: :? :lol:
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By steve booth
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Joined:  Mon Jul 18, 2011 11:15 am
#419465
Already happened to me!! :D :D
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By Camden
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Joined:  Mon May 23, 2022 9:25 pm
#419469
You know, one thing you might want to try is to put some moss on top of the soil and see what happens.
By Gary
Posts:  443
Joined:  Fri Jul 08, 2022 3:23 pm
#419658
Interesting. This morning I was visited by a few dozen bees that were drinking from a couple of the pots. I'm germinating some seeds in them so they're much wetter than the other flytrap pots. The monsoon rains stopped a few days ago so I suppose they needed a new water source. They've been out there all day.
By davinstewart
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Joined:  Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:29 pm
#419659
Yep, I see this often on my plants. My neighbor has a bee hive and those bees LOVE to drink from my watering table. They'll swarm the surface of pots or the hydroton clay balls that I use to fill in the gaps on my table. They're definitely drinking and go absolutely nuts once the watering system kicks in. I think they like it because I use rainwater and it's very pure.

I often worry about the bees getting into the plants and do find a few in my flytraps but overall they're fine and just there for a drink of water so ignore the lures the plants use.
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By Intheswamp
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Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm
#419660
They will definitely drink water and haul back to the hive. Hot and dry weather can really bring them to the water! Evaporative cooling, working with e honey, etc.
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By steve booth
Posts:  1221
Joined:  Mon Jul 18, 2011 11:15 am
#419699
I wouldn't bother, if it stops the bees it just means that they will have to go further for water, wasting energy, and for the sake of a couple of teaspoons full they dring it isn't going to hurt the plant.
Cheers
Steve

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