Why do my honey bees ignore the fresh water I provide, and instead fly over to my neighbor’s pool? The Classroom article in the September 2015 issue of the American Bee Journal had a great answer!

Just as with nectar, when bees locate a good source of water they bring it back to the hive to present to other foragers. The bees indicate the direction and distance of the water location with the ‘waggle’ dance. However, if the water has little taste or odor, the new foragers may not be able to figure out what to collect once they get there. The yucky water at my neighbor’s house has a definite taste and odor profile!

In the article, Jerry Hayes recommends adding a little vanilla extract or lemon flavoring  or (mint extract?) … to the water you provide. Make sure the water supply is consistent in location and odor/taste and the bees will come. It is best to set up the water very early in the season so that the bees will ‘imprint’ on the location before deciding to run over to the neighbor’s.

Remember to provide a surface on the water for the bees to prevent drowning. A shallow bowl full of pebbles and rocks or a brick works well, or you can add wine corks and other floating objects to a bucket of deeper water.