>> ...how the heck bees are supposed to taste 
>> Imidacloprid-tainted water, and know to avoid it?

> I think the implication is that if there are other 
> non tainted water sources available, this reduces 
> the chance that the bees will use the polluted 
> sources exclusively, if at all. I don't think they 
> meant to imply that bees would deliberately 
> avoid tainted water.

Bees do not "hedge their bets" very much at all for water.  When bees find a
reliable nearby water source, they stick with it, and, as anyone who has had
their bees become a nuisance to the neighbors, they do not take well to
attempts to train them to an alternate source, even with the use of
essential oils.  The primary source must become unavailable for the bees to
reconsider their options.

So, if the water source used by the bees is contaminated, it could become a
serious problem, as bees DO tend to use a single source "exclusively".

This is why, when bee-lining, one is well advised to start looking around
water, as bees found water foraging will be very loyal to that source, and
are sure to be foraging from a nearby hive.

So, I repeat the question.

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