Honey Bees versus the pool 'bot....

[Swampwoman]

Okay, after reading up on beekeeper threads I now think I understand what's going on, but if anyone else has encountered this, suggestion are welcome.

This is our second year here. We purchased a pool robot (M4 Supreme) a few months ago.

Two nights ago, I noticed about five bees lighting on it and lovin it to death. I got a closer look and they're def honey bees, not sweat bees (which I also have) or wasps (which i also have and kill regularly) and not hornets (which I also have and kill regularly )

So I though it was weird, but in the interest of agriculture, horticulture, etc., left them be.

They must have phoned home. The next day there were twice as many crawling all over the 'bot, and riffing on my (wet) aquajogging gear.

Today, twice THAT number!

So, feral or kept honey bees have discovered my pool area as a water source, and appear to be addicted to this particular mix of chlorine, the cumulative saltiness, etc.

I really don't want to hurt them, but now they're also crawling on my raft...while I'm in it. I'm having a party in two weeks and have no idea if any of the guests are allergic to bees. I'd like to wean them off the pool if possible before then. (The bees, not the guests

So I put pool water in a bird bath dish away from the pool. No dice. I had to put my aquajogging shoes in the bird bath to get thm over there. Some went, but about five die hards stayed with the 'bot.

My ph is 7.4, FC is dosed to 7.5 and drops to about 4-4.5 before next day's dose, I do use a lot of jack's magic to control iron so there are very high levels of phosphate byproduct. Would any of these things cause this attraction, or is this chlorine/salt combo pretty typical?

I am going to try putting attractants in the bird bath (eg lemon grass oil) and will be storing the foam aquajogging gear in a covered bin.

Are there covers for pool robots that can cloak the scent?

Do any of you have honey bees plaguing your pool and if so, what tricks do you use to manage them?

Thanks in advance for any tips!

 

[Suziqzer]

I've never heard of such a problem. We get the occasional carpenter bee wanting to eat at our deck, but not honeybees.

I wonder if you bumped up the FC for a couple of days and maybe made it a little more toxic for them if they would take the hint.

Swimming with bees isn't my idea of fun!

 

[DKT113]

We never had that problem either and I am glad for it, bees don't bother me but they freak my daughter and the neighbor girl out. As a kid it wasn't a summer day unless the baking soda paste was getting put on swollen toes.

I would call a local beekeeper. They'll have all kinds of information for you. It is my understanding when they find a spot and move the queen in they are there until moved or lured away. I would definitely remove the robot from them, if that's possible since they seem to be attracted to it. In the morning I would call a beekeeper and pick their brain to see how to discourage them or find out about having them removed if it becomes necessary. Kick up the bleach tonight if they are going to get buzzy with the robot they should be at their cleanest

 

[Sprucegoose]

Sort of related. To keep ducks from landing on my pool, which they used to love doing, I set the timer to come on at dawn and dusk. The noise startled them. I also left floaties on the pool to distract them.

Yesterday, another contributor here said she has a terrible problem with horse flies (lives in the country) and uses a water sprayer to scare them off.

So I'm wondering if you could set a sprayer up to blanket most of the pool and eventually they'd seek a different location. The sprayer could be a simple PVC sprayer that is hooked to the return vent (s).

 

[techguy]

I get bees in the water in my pool also. My biggest issue is you cannot tell if they are dead or alive when they are on the surface of the water. If you "scoop" them with your hand, you can find out the hard way and get stung.

Ducks? I used three $1 rubber snakes from Wal-Mart and I never saw the ducks in the pool again. I set them on the top rails (one fell into the clear water, darn kids) and they kept flying. I have one green, one orange and one tan colored snake. I don't know if the colors made a difference.

 

[bugsy714]

Lol@the snake idea that's awesome

 

[Swampwoman]

Hi guys, thanks for the tips.
I've been getting advice on a beekeeper thread actually, and as it turns out, they love chlorine, it's what attracts them (together with the salty byproduct.)

I'm not sure spray therapy would be effective as some of the beekeepers use sprinklers and misters to try to convince their swams to STAY HOME AND AWAY from the neighbor's pools, apparently!

Who knew?

 

[Suziqzer]

Interesting. I never would have thought that they love the chlorine. News to me.

 

[FamilyGuy]

It never ceases to amaze me the things i learn in this forum lol

 

[techguy]

I have heard if you add borates to your water, it can decrease the number of bees you get in or around the water. It may not take too much to make the water less attractive to them.

 

[btolley]

I get 10 or 15 honey bees per day in my pool. I have tried "rescuing" them but the turn around and jump back in. So now I let them drown.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Techguy, I read your post about not using hands to scoop bees out and was going to tell my wife, but she got in and scooped one before I had a chance and got stung. So good advice.

 

[techguy]

I learned that way... too. We used to call them Renta-Donuts, as in Hertz Dont-It. Boy Scouts... silly-ness. Usually was accompanied by a slug to the shoulder.