A discussion of water sources for bees would not be complete without a mention of guttation. Drops of liquid that you see along the edges of a leaf—or sometimes at the very tip—are actually drops of xylem sap. The process that delivered the sap to the leaf margins is called guttation. Drops of xylem sap […] Read more
Guttation is a natural process seen in many vascular plants whereby drops of xylem sap exude from leaf tips or margins. Honey bees are known to drink this water, especially in the early spring before large numbers of nectar-containing flowers are available to foragers. A problem with this type of water collection occurs in agricultural […] Read more
Water has several uses in a honey bee hive. During certain times of the year foragers find a source of water, fill their crops, and ferry it home. The number of bees foraging for water depends on the needs of the colony. If the in-hive workers accept the water quickly from the foragers, the foraging […] Read more