Lionel Evans asked: "  Why are the bees not watering at the same place? I
don't think they have
> found other sources."
>
> Bees collect water only when they need to - they just stop at other times,
not switch sources.  They need water for only two purposes: 1 to dilute
stored honey down to the 50:50 mix they keep in their stomachs for
metabolizing energy; 2  to cool the hive by evaporation.
Bees need water most in spring when using stores fast to build up the brood
nest.  Rearing each grib needs about 140mg of honey - diluting that down
from 80:20 to 50:50 needs ?...u work it out and multiply by the number of
grubs in the nest.  Colonies use up a lot of water. In a not-hot summer bees
get all water needed from nectar which often has less tha 50:50
concentration of sugars and so has to have water reduced not added.  In
autumn, nectar flow stops and bees go back to using stored honey - and back
to collecting water.

Robin Dartington

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