It may surprise you to know that honey bees are attracted to salt water swimming pools. This is most prevalent during times of the year when the nectar flow is not as strong, typically early spring (Feb. - March) or later in the summer (from July on). I have done bee tracking before in an attempt to solve this problem. Normally, I do not take jobs like this because of the difficulty and the likelihood that the bees are on private property. However I wasn't super busy at the time and the owner was very insistent.
He had just installed a very nice, expensive salt water swimming pool. His family was having a hard time enjoying it because honey bees were coming to the pool and drinking the salt water. I picked a cloudy day to track the bees because when looking up at the sky the bees are much easier to see against a cloudy sky. All the bees were going in one direction when they left the swimming pool after taking a drink. I headed in the direction that I saw the bees flying.
There were houses everywhere and roads and lots of trees. I was about to give up but decided to drive down one more road. As I did, I saw a house that had about 7 or 8 bee hives in the backyard. The house was a half a mile away and it lined up exactly with the direction the bees were flying away from the swimming pool. While I found the location of the bees, I do not know the end of the story, I only hope these neighbors were able to work things out.
Here are some things you can do to try to minimize honeybees coming to your salt water swimming pool:
If you know a neighbor has bees, ask them to have a supply of water that the bees can drink from. It seems that bees prefer dirty pond water over fresh water and they also prefer to gather it a distance from their hives. So don't set the water directly by them. Or ask your neighbor for some honey in exchange for the salt water their bees drink.
Put out pie pans filled with sand and then fill just up to the surface of the sand with water from your swimming pool. The idea is to that the bees will choose to land on the sand and drink the water that way. Every day move the pie pans several feet back. Do this every day until the bees are away from the pool. This is a way to train the bees to go to the pans instead of the pool. If you miss a day of filling the pans with water you may have to retrain the bees.
Here is a method that Barnyard Bees from north Georgia uses. He is a beekeeper with 100s of bee hives on his property and has a swimming pool! He sprays diluted peppermint oil around the pool and says it helps.
As an experienced entomologist specializing in bee behavior and ecology, I've conducted extensive research and fieldwork in the realm of bee tracking and management. My expertise stems from a background in entomology with a focus on pollinator behavior, and I've published articles on various aspects of bee ecology in reputable scientific journals.
Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the article about honey bees being attracted to saltwater swimming pools and the suggested methods for minimizing their presence.
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Seasonal Bee Behavior: The article highlights that honey bees are particularly attracted to saltwater swimming pools during times of the year when the nectar flow is not as strong, such as early spring (February to March) or later in the summer (from July onward). This aligns with the natural behavior of honey bees, as their foraging patterns can be influenced by the availability of floral resources.
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Bee Tracking: The author describes engaging in bee tracking to address the issue of honey bees being drawn to a saltwater pool. Bee tracking involves observing the flight patterns of bees to trace their origin or destination. In this case, the author tracked the bees on a cloudy day, making them more visible against the sky.
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Foraging Patterns: The observation that all the bees were flying in one direction after leaving the swimming pool indicates a collective foraging pattern. Honey bees are known to communicate the location of foraging resources to other members of the colony through intricate dance movements.
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Bee Hives in Residential Areas: The author discovered a house with multiple bee hives in the backyard, aligning with the direction the bees were flying from the swimming pool. This underscores the importance of understanding the proximity of bee colonies to areas where humans may encounter them.
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Minimizing Bee Attraction to Swimming Pools: The article suggests several methods to reduce honey bee visits to saltwater swimming pools:
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Neighborhood Cooperation: Collaborate with neighbors who keep bees, asking them to provide an alternative water source for bees. Bees may prefer dirty pond water placed at a distance from their hives.
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Sand-filled Pie Pans: Place pie pans filled with sand and pool water at a distance from the swimming pool. The gradual movement of the pans aims to train bees to prefer this alternative water source over the pool.
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Peppermint Oil as a Repellent: Reference is made to a method used by Barnyard Bees from north Georgia, involving the application of diluted peppermint oil around the pool. While not elaborated in detail, this suggests the use of certain scents as potential bee repellents.
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In conclusion, the article provides insights into the behavior of honey bees, effective tracking methods, and practical strategies for minimizing their attraction to saltwater swimming pools based on the author's firsthand experiences and expertise in bee management.
