It often puzzles (or embarasses) beekeepers that their bees seem to
   prefer tainted water supplies (neighbour's chlorinated hot tub, seepage
   from compost heaps, or worse) to the pure supply provided (sometimes
   only after the habit of using the other source has been established).
 
   I'm speculating, but maybe the pure supply is just harder for a
   scent-oriented bee to locate ("inolfactible" (?) like invisible), and
   those water foragers with a distinct scent would gain more recruits than
   others with a scentless water supply. (even with, or in spite of,
   recruiting dances, wouldn't you agree Adrian?)
 
   If this is so, it suggests that scenting the (human) preferred source
   might help redirect the water recruits away from the nuisance site. It
   won't happen quickly if the nuisance source is a big and constant one
   (like a swimming pool) but a smaller one (hot tub) could be made
   unavailable (tarp) for a couple of hot days, and the bees might
   re-orient to the new, distinctly-scented source.
 
   I'd expect a few drops of fragrant flavouring (anise, lemon, vanilla)
   would do the trick for 40 liters or 10 gallons of otherwise clean water.
   It should work even better if the scenting is done before the bees
   become oriented to the "problem" source.
 
   Water dispensed by the droplet down a sloping board, into a tray of pea
   gravel (nice dry platform for a bee) has been very attractive to bees.
 
   I'd like to hear if it works or not.
 
   Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist
   B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
   1201 103 Ave
   Dawson Creek B.C.
        V1G 4J2  CANADA          Tel (250) 784-2231     fax (250) 784-2299
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