I didn't know how to add a picture but I put out a black plastic oil change pan with a few rocks in it and a couple of pieces of a soggy foam (came from an exersize matt) on a returant table support.  Looks just like a bird bath.  I have one in the back and one in the front.  The back is about 100 yards or so from the hives.  I have chicken (with water) maby 30/50 feet from this.  The pan is under a tree and in the shade.  I have some folgers coffee cans in between this and the garden that I also put water in most times.  The bees only go to the pan in my back yard and the folgers can closest to the hives. (I put straw in it now).  They don't mess with the chicken water.  In fall, my neibor said there was a bunch of dead bees in a puddle of water in a wheel barrow and so he turned it over.  Mostly they use the black plastic though.  I did see during wet wether where I have a salt block out for deer and the water puddles around the salt block, I have seen masses of bees getting water there.  My guess is that if you moved bees, they will go to the easiest consistant water they can find first and will tell all thier buddies.  My little pan will take a gallon of water a day (only nine hives) during warm wether.  It is the same water that is at the chicken house that is a little closer to the hives and I know bees are not scared of chickens cause every spring they are in the cracked corn.  I don't know why the bees picked the plastic tub but do believe they comunicate once they pick it and stay pretty loyal.  I might experment and see if I put the same thing closer, if the bees would change to it just to see how loyal they are. (when it gets warm of course).  If they don't change, I will be thinking that it is the first thing they find and like and so that needs to be before the neibor fills his pool.
Cheers
gww

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