Watering Your Bees

[GSF]

On 6-28-13 I will have had my package bees 3 weeks. I've been feeding them sugar water since day one. At the risk of sounding stupid my question is this, should they be provided an area for them to get some plain water also? I have bird baths, water tubs, and watering sources for my chickens. I don't see the bees around any of these areas so that in itself suggests to me they are getting ample supply from somewhere. Thanks again folks.

[blanc]

My bees took over my chicken water feeders so I set up 2 five gal buckets with a piece of Styrofoam  for a platform. If I would not they would take over my swimming pool like last year. A lesson well learned!  ;)
Blanc

[Steel Tiger]

 My field got saturated with water from a week of rain last week. I was walking across to check the hives and found a spot about 30 yards from the hives that the bees were drinking from. They weren't actually in a puddle of water. They were sucking it from the mud.
 They're more than likely getting their water from somewhere. If you feel the need to put water out for them, I might go the route of putting a container of extremely wet mud out for them rather than a container of water that you then have to figure out how to make drown proof.

[Palouse]

I have a two-gallon, galvanized bucket that I keep full of water. I cut a round piece of pine and drilled holes in it for the bees to land on. It sits in front of, and between, my two hives.

I've heard it said that once bees find a water source they tend to stick to it unless it dries up, but I don't know if that's true or not. I don't know where my bees get their water, but it isn't from the bucket as I was a week late getting it in. It makes me feel better to keep it filled, and it's also required by city ordinance where I live.