Bees require water for their survival and the health of their colony. While nectar and pollen are primary resources, water is equally important. It plays a role in various physiological processes and hive functions, making its availability crucial for colony success.
Fundamental Biological Needs
Water is essential for individual bees’ biological functions. Bees, approximately 80% water, need it to maintain hydration. Adequate water intake supports metabolic processes, allowing them to convert food into energy and maintain physiological health.
Proper hydration allows bees to digest food effectively and absorb nutrients. Dehydration can lead to sluggishness, difficulty flying, and reduced foraging efficiency, impacting their contribution to the colony. This biological necessity forms the foundation for water’s many other applications within the hive.
Maintaining Hive Temperature
Bees use water to regulate hive temperature. Honey bees maintain their brood nest temperature within a narrow range, typically 32-36°C (90-97°F), for brood development. When external temperatures rise, bees employ evaporative cooling, a process similar to human air conditioning.
Worker bees collect water and spread thin films on comb surfaces or around the cells containing larvae and eggs. Other bees vigorously fan their wings, creating air currents that promote water evaporation. As water evaporates, it absorbs heat from the surrounding air, effectively cooling the hive interior. This collective effort prevents overheating, which could otherwise melt the wax comb or harm the developing brood.
Diluting Food and Rearing Brood
Water is also crucial for hive nutrition and the development of new bees. Bees use water to dilute concentrated honey, making it easier for adult bees to consume and digest. This is particularly important during winter or periods of nectar dearth when bees rely on stored honey, which can crystallize and become too thick without dilution.
Young larvae require a more liquid diet for growth and development. Nurse bees mix water with honey and pollen to create nutritious “bee bread” or royal jelly, fed to larvae. Royal jelly, for example, contains 60-80% water. Water ensures the food’s consistency suits young bees’ digestive systems and provides essential moisture for rapid development.
How Bees Acquire and Deliver Water
Forager bees locate and collect water from various sources. They prefer water from damp surfaces like rocks, muddy puddles, leaves, or slightly mineralized water. They use their proboscis, a straw-like mouthpart, to slurp up water and store it in their honey stomach, also known as a crop, for transport to the hive. A single bee can carry up to 50 microliters per trip.
Once a water-collecting bee returns to the hive, it transfers its load to “receiver” bees through trophallaxis, a direct bee-to-bee transfer. The speed of acceptance by receiver bees signals the colony’s water demand; quick transfer indicates high need, prompting the forager to return for more. Water is collected on demand and not stored in large quantities within the hive, unlike honey.