As the days warm up, the swimming pool just gets even more popular – with two and six legged visitors! The thing is, the same way we use our pool to cool down, bees and wasps are looking for the same relief.
The importance of bees to human survival is well known. But even the peskier wasp has uses around the garden. So, before you give the pest controller a buzz, remember, wasps are your natural pest controller. That’s because wasp larvae love a good feed of aphids, flies and other bugs.
Bee-leave it or not
The bees use your pool water to dilute their honey so they can feed it to their brood. They also use the water as an air conditioning system in the hive. They fan the water they’ve collected with their wings until it evaporates, reducing the temperature in the hive.
Wasps also need water to survive, and some use it to create the mulch walls of their nest.
Neither the wasp nor bee is out to get you – they’re out to get water. And it’s no secret that bees need all the human help they can get, since we caused most of their problems in the first place. So, let’s keep this in mind as we look for an alternative to the spray can or rolled up newspaper.
Simple as A, Bee, See you later
The best, most effective way to keep our stingy friends at bay couldn’t be simpler. Just give them an alternative source of water.
With bees, try and work out the general direction they’re coming from – chances are your pool will be between a pollen source and their hive. So just provide a separate small body of water for them to collect from. A pond or a birdbath work well. If you’re worried about attracting mozzies, just add a small amount of BioGuard AlgiGuard to the water and they won’t be a problem!
Or get a bucket of water and an old towel or rag – drape one end in the water and the other over the rim – capillary action will soak the entire towel and the bees can perch on it to drink. But wait ‘til you hear the best part…
Bees and wasps prefer murky water over sparkling clean pool water!
As well as being a lot closer to what they’d experience in the wild, murky water is rich with useful nutrients and organisms – it also normally has bits of debris on the surface for them to perch on.
Which is just another reason to keep using world leading BioGuard products to keep your pool crystal clear (and keep the bees away).
And, if you ever encounter any problems with your pool or spa, just make a beeline to your local BioGuard Approved Retailer.
