In Atlanta, June 2024 was both hot and dry. The daily temperatures were warmer than normal, touching the record high for a few days. We accumulated 1.74 inches (4.4 cm) of rain compared to a normal June rainfall of 4.54 inches (11.5 cm).
I rolled out the garden hose and watered daily. The bees responded by drinking from the birdbath and packing around the edge of the ant moat that hangs above the hummingbird feeder.
Next, I set out decorative bee-watering items with a dash of kosher salt. How much salt is enough? Follow this link to Salt preferences of honey bee water foragers and read that minimal salt is required to attract bees. The unrelenting heat and the bees' keen memory of their new water source required that I top up the water several times a day. I added a large chicken waterer 9/10 gal (3.3 liter) with a dash of kosher salt that kept up with the bees and evaporation at the waterer. In my opinion, the key to attracting water foragers is to provide a permanent and dependable location for water.
NOAA's headline, June marked by record-setting U.S. heat waves, severe weather, highlighted tornados and flash flooding in Florida. In Atlanta, the June 2024 experience was hot and dry.
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