Like other livestock, honey bees need drinking water resources in order to survive. In the photo above, you’ll see some of our ranch’s bees landing at our pond’s edge in order to get water.
When selecting resources for bee food and drink, it’s important to locate them near the hives so that the bees don’t exert too much energy collecting it. That’s why we set up the Hokkaido Ranch Apiary just a couple hundred feet from a 3/4 acre pond.
And why we plant lots of wildflowers near the beehives so they don’t have to forage too far.
What happens if the pond dries out during the summer heat?
While it’s possible, that’s unlikely, particularly after we had parts of the pond dug deeper last year to collect even more rain. However, if the pond does go dry, we have a nearby well with a 5,000-gallon tank as an additional water source.
There are many things to take into account as a beekeeper if you want your hives to survive and thrive. And if you want them to produce great Texas wildflower honey like ours do.