Honeybees are excellent foragers of nectar, pollen, propolis, and water. New beekeepers often forget to pay attention to the last resource. It's essential to keep in mind that, like most animals, honeybees are made up mostly of water cells. They need to drink water regularly, just like we do. Water foragers find water, carry it in their honey stomach, and transfer it to house bees waiting at the hive entrance in much the same way as nectar foragers collect and handoff nectar.
Beekeepers should plan for a water source on their property so that bees won't hunt for water elsewhere. It should be available for as long as the bees are active. Once the bees become familiar with a water source, most will continue to visit and use it. However, since bees are industrious, they will find water elsewhere if their regular source runs dry. You might notice them on damp rocks, branches, muddy puddles, pond edges, or water drops adhering to vegetation. Bees can also find water in places that aren't quite as suitable, especially if you have close neighbors!
Honeybees can become a nuisance when they visit dripping irrigation lines or hose connections, birdbaths, pet dishes, swimming pools, fountains, or wet laundry hanging out to dry. Water foragers can become habituated to these sites. If you try to dissuade the bees by drying up the source, some will continue to visit the site and return quickly once the water returns. Bees mark good sites with their Nasanov pheromone to make it easier for other foragers to find. If you want to make your water supply preferable to the neighbor's swimming pool, add about five drops of lemongrass oil to the water. Honeybees have an acute sense of smell, and lemongrass oil mimics the attractant pheromone used to attract a swarm to a new home.
How do honeybees use water? In the heat of summer, bees spray water on the honeycomb and fan the moisture with their wings to create evaporative cooling. This activity is vitally important in the brood nest to keep eggs and brood at the critical 94℉ required for proper development. Evaporative cooling also maintains the proper relative humidity in the brood nest. In addition, nurse bees mix water with pollen and nectar to make jelly to feed developing larvae. Similarly, nurse bees add water to royal jelly for queen bee larvae. Bees also use water to dissolve crystallized honey in the comb and as a cool drink on a hot day.
Keep in mind that bees don't like to get their feet wet. They are amazing creatures but haven't yet learned how to swim! The biggest concern for the beekeeper when providing supplemental water is drowning. To prevent drowning, add floats where the bees can land. Add a few floating wine corks to a birdbath to give them a place to land and sip water. You can also use stones, twigs, or a flat chunk of tree bark.