I take down most of my birdfeeders in the summer. It deters the chipmunks and squirrels from digging holes in my flowerbeds, and most of the birds disappear to raise families during the summer months anyway.
The chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers have been visiting my yard again lately, so it was time to get back into the birdfeeding business. The only problem was that the birdbath (“beebath”) was sitting where I usually set up the feeders.
Meanwhile, the “beebath” situation had gotten woefully out of control:
The other day a chickadee landed on the edge of the bath and shrieked. I’ve never heard that kind of noise from a bird before. I’m not sure if it was stung, or just startled by the number of bees. It sat on a nearby lily looking baffled for awhile.
Would you want to tell this many bees that it’s time to move the birdbath? I certainly didn’t.
I tried many times to gently shoo them away, but they weren’t budging, so I devised a plan. I waited until nighttime when they were safely tucked in their hives across the street. Then I strapped on a headlamp and moved the birdbath in the dark.
I’ve read that bees may be able to “smell” water, but I’m not so sure. I only moved the bath about 12 feet from its original location, yet the next morning there was a lot of confusion. For hours bees swirled around and around the area where the birdbath used to sit. It wasn’t until late afternoon that they were all happily reunited at their watering hole.