Bees – Attracted To Pools

Q: Our neighbors recently planted a beautiful garden and set up two bee hives. Unfortunately the bees are attracted to our salt water swimming pool. We see groups at the top rung of the ladder and also on the waterfall, where the rocks are wet. Is there anything we can do to keep the bees away from our pool?

A: University of Georgia bee expert Jennifer Berry says this is a frequent problem at this time of year. For whatever reason bees LOVE swimming pools. Maybe the chlorine provides some sort of nutrient they want. Since we don’t want to harm the bees, your goal is to train them to stop using your pool. Try placing pans of pool water close to the hives. Put a sponge in the center of the pan that the bees can rest on as they drink. With patience the situation usually can be resolved.