best way to keep bees out of my water

[1637]

i when out to the desert today to drywash,i use a blue bowl for clean up.it uses 3 gal of water ,i try to keep it covered ,the the bees came and took over,i have a new dog and she was trying to eat them.not good, i heard that adding apple cider vinegar to the water would help?? any other ideas
thank you brad

 

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[Kray Gelder]

Try putting out a water tray, where your dog can't get to it, just for the bees.

 

[Red-Coat]

We have an apiary in the wooded field next to our house. The guys and girls that tend it told me that bees are attracted to bright, dark colours but not to pale colours. Bee-keeper suits are white or cream for a reason… and if there was a colour that ‘repelled’ them then the suits would be dyed that colour.

They confirmed that two tablespoons of vinegar per gallon (any kind, even synthetic) will generally keep bees out of water. I thought that was an old wives’ tale, but apparently not. Bees also prefer ‘dirty’ water (ie pond water over tap water). If you provide an attractive source of water alongside an unattractive source then bees will go for the former, even if there’s a lot less of it.

So, for your own needs you might try using a white or pale coloured bowl if you can get one, with a small amount of vinegar added to the water, and then provide a smaller brightly coloured bowl nearby filled with plain water for the bees.

 

[Red-Coat]

PS: bees will also preferentially go for water that has the best access. So, floating a (brightly coloured) sponge in the bowl will attract them to that source.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Try putting out a water tray, where your dog can't get to it, just for the bees.

This is a very good idea. Kind of like bribing the bees! I do this with the yellow jackets in my yard. I put out a shallow bowl of hummingbird food to keep them away from my feeders. Doesn't keep them all away, but the hummingbirds only have to fend off a couple of bees at the feeders.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

Apple cider vinegar actually draws bees to water. I use vinegar with a few drops of dish soap in a small bowl of water. This is very effective on killing yellow jackets. I have a couple bee hives. Honey bees carry water to their hive and use the water to cool the hive through evaporation. The vinegar water solution does'nt attract honey bees, only yellow jackets.