Content
A bee drinker is an indispensable item in caring for these insects. After all, they are thirsty every day - especially during the appearance of bee brood.
In spring and winter, the beekeeper installs such a device in a stationary apiary. It is worth considering the features and types of bee structures, as well as the rules for their installation and pay attention to the photo of a do-it-yourself drinking bowl for bees.
Do bees need drinkers?
As you know, honey bees always want to drink a lot of water. Therefore, if there is no natural source near the bee apiary (stream, river, lake or pond), an apiary drinking bowl with a volume of 0.7-3 liters is built in this place.
Such structures must have a certain amount of water every day. Their volume is increased or decreased depending on the season:
- during honey harvest, one family of bees drinks 300 ml of water in 1 day;
- at the end of summer, bees consume 100 ml of water in 1 day;
- from September the bee colony drinks 30 ml of water per day;
- In early spring, insects consume 45 ml of water per day.
When installing a bee drinker with your own hands from a plastic bottle, the beekeeper ensures the correct water supply to this device. This product is installed in an open place.Thus, the sun's rays maintain the desired water temperature.
When installing such a design, the following advantages are obtained:
- with the daily presence of water in the hive, the bees are always provided with it - they do not need to fly anywhere;
- such a device is made from a plastic bottle, which instantly heats up in the sun;
- when adding water to this structure, the beekeeper does not disturb the insects in any way;
- the beekeeper assesses the degree of development of the bee colony by transferring water into the hive without opening it;
- such a structure can be quickly erected on a specific site, and the manufacturing materials are low cost.
When installing such a structure for bees, the beekeeper chooses a place that is quickly heated by the sun. To prevent it from being blown away by the wind, it is installed on a special stand, the height of which is 70 cm.
Varieties
All bee drinkers come in two types: public and individual. The first structures are containers that are filled with water, and all the bees flock into them.
The second products are installed only in small apiaries. Water is supplied directly to each family of these insects.
There are two types of drinking bowls based on the method of water supply:
- Current. In this case, water slowly flows from a regular plastic bottle or any other container along a board on which there are several curved channels.
- Dripping. These structures are containers that are closed with a lid with small holes.They are hung in a vertical position with the lid down over a small tray on which water drops drip and where excess water accumulates. For a large number of flying insects, several such devices are installed.
In winter, the beekeeper builds a heated drinking bowl. After all, at the beginning of spring, when insects come into contact with cold water, they freeze, freeze and die. If the sun shines outside for a long time, the water quickly heats up in a bee structure made of plastic or glass.
Classification depending on season
Depending on the time of year, beekeepers install 2 types of drinkers - winter and spring. It is worth considering their main characteristics.
Winter
In winter, in-hive drinkers are used to provide the bees with the necessary amount of water. In this case, vacuum containers are often used.
In this case, access to water is possible only from the hive. Since this design is transparent, it is easy to maintain the required level of liquid.
Spring
In the spring, when the bees leave the hive, beekeepers install external drinkers. In this case, in a place where the sun shines, place a barrel with the tap slightly open, which is filled with water.
A similar structure is placed near the hive. Thus, the bees quickly and independently take as much water as they need.
Heated
At the beginning of spring, the water temperature in the bee drinking bowl is still cold. When they come into contact with it, sleepy bees are subject to great stress. In this case, there is a significant reduction in the bee population.
To keep the water always warm, beekeepers install small heated drinking bowls. In this case, an aquarium water heater is often used. This device does not boil ice water, but slightly heats it.
Vacuum drinkers
A vacuum drinker for bees is considered an indispensable container in winter, when the bees themselves often freeze and their brood is reduced. This design has the following advantages:
- it is filled without opening the hive itself, in this case, when filling the container with water, the insects are not disturbed in any way;
- airtight and easy to use;
- Access to water is only inside the hive, so insects do not fly out into the cold.
Before installation in the tray, the vacuum structure is filled with water. This product is made of transparent plastic, through which the liquid level is clearly visible.
How to make a drinking bowl for bees with your own hands
When constructing drinking bowls yourself, use the following tools and building materials:
- a regular plastic bottle with a volume of 500 ml;
- stationery knife;
- marker;
- a piece of polystyrene foam, the thickness of which is 2 cm;
- wide tape;
- small nail;
- ruler.
As soon as spring comes, bees fly out of the hive even in cold weather and, when in contact with ice water, become numb. In this case, the beekeeper installs a drinking bowl under a glass case, and as a result, the water in it is kept warm for a long time. If the stationary apiary is located at a far distance from the house, in this case similar structures without valves are installed.
Beekeepers also independently install common bee drinkers from car tires and large outdoor heated structures. The first structures are made from tires, which are pre-cut along the circumference.
External large drinkers are equipped with a special heating device - an aquarium water heater. Below, under the gutter through which the water flows, place a container with stones or gravel.
This is where all the water from the board is collected. This spare tank is used if the plastic bottle runs out of water.
Drinking bowl for bees from a plastic bottle
The simplest drinking bowl is made from a plastic bottle. This design is very convenient and compact. It is then installed near the bee hive.
When manufacturing and installing such a drinker, perform the following steps:
- A rectangle of the following dimensions is made from a small piece of polystyrene foam - 7x12 cm.
- Take a marker and make the necessary markings with it. In this case, the larger side of the foam blank is divided into 2 parts and 1 line is drawn in the middle.
- Make an indentation from the edge equal to 10 cm, and then put 1 more mark.
- The resulting foam blank is divided in half according to thickness.
- Screw in the bottleneck to the entire depth at a distance of 10 cm from the edge of the polystyrene foam rectangle.
- On the other hand, the foam blanks are cut to the middle of 50% of the thickness.
- Opposite the bottle, a groove of any shape is cut out with a stationery knife.
- At the same time, free space is left for insects along its edges. I calculate the width of the gutter as follows: the width of the tape minus 10 mm. For example, the width of the tape is 60 mm. This means that the width of the gutter is made no more than 50 mm.
- The circle formed by the bottleneck is divided into 2 parts.
- The one directed towards the gutter is cut out at an angle.
- Opposite the board with the notch, mark it with a marker, and then use a small nail to pierce a hole.
- Water flows through this place.
- The bottom of the bee structure is completely covered with construction tape.
- This creates a small reservoir into which the water flows.
- Fill a plastic bottle with water, turn it over and insert it into a pre-prepared hole.
When using it is necessary to monitor the water level in this bee structure. From time to time you need to wash the inside of a plastic bottle.
After filling the bottle with water, it is screwed in “upside down” and the liquid immediately flows into the groove.
Conclusion
A bee drinker helps the beekeeper protect a large number of these insects from death. Every beekeeper should take the issue of providing them with water in the apiary with special responsibility. To solve this problem, the above types of bee drinkers are installed - the bees do not become numb in the winter and are always provided with water.
