240 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



WATERING BEES. 



When bees are building combs rapidly, they seem 

 to require a considerable amount of water. They 

 may be seen in large quantities about watering 

 troughs, pumps, springs or streams of water, collect- 

 ing it. When a supply is not convenient to the 

 apiary, it will pay to make a shallow trough, as 

 described for feeding bees in ; put in a lot of gravel, 

 sand, &c. and renew the water daily, leaving the 

 gravel, stones and dirt partly exposed. This enables 

 the bees to get the water without fear of being 

 drowned. 



It is supposed by some writers that bees use the 

 water entirely for the young brood, as well as for 

 themselves ; others think it is used principally in 

 comb building. It may be used for both, yet I know 

 that they can and do rear brood without a drop of 

 water ! I have also known bees to live for forty- 

 eight days (part of the time in a very warm latitude 

 and part where it was moderately cold, but not suffi- 

 cient to condense moisture,) without having a single 

 drop of water, yet they were healthy and in good 

 condition. Another fact is, that during the month 

 of May and the early part of June, there is quite as 

 much brood-raised as at any other part of the season ; 

 but as a general thing very little comb is built ; yet 

 there is not one bee collecting water during this time 

 for every ten that may be seen a little later in the 



