WASHINGTON — During the dog days of summer, a colony of honeybees were desperate for water.
The sweltering summer heat forced the bees to drink from the closest water source they could find. Which just so happened to be the Edgewood Splash pad in Northeast, D.C. Residents noticed the bees swarming the water feature and were worried about kids getting stung. So, three D.C. agencies worked together to come up with a solution.
“Everyone is abuzz about this development, so the D.C. Department of General Services was really excited to join the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation and the DCP Alliance to make sure that there was a water source for our honey bees during the heat emergency too, away from the actual communities splash pad, and give them their own kind of splash pad,” says John Stokes, the Associate Director of External Affairs for the D.C. Department of General Services.
Honeybees are attracted to chlorinated water and they prefer to drink from shallow sources and wet rocks, making the splash pad seem ideal for them. But unfortunately, these fountains aren't a reliable water source since they aren't always on.
So members with DCP and D.C. DPR added water sources and a bird bath to the already existing bee colonies created in the city.
Josh Singer, a community garden specialist with D.C. Parks and Rec, explains more saying, “they actually prefer consistent water, the thing about splash pads is they're inconsistent so as soon as they saw this consistent water source, they started hanging around there and less at the splash pad.”
So, as the hot summer swelters on everyone, including the honeybees, can stay cool and hydrated.
BONUS: The honey is collected from the bees and is given out to local seniors!