Bee problems

[Zerock]

Hi!
I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this but here I go!

We have a backyard pool which both wasps and bees tend to fall in and flail around. If they can't find something to get up on they drown.

I also have a son who is very sensitive to wasp/bee stings. He got stung once in the pool on the side of his face near his ear (Probably one of those flailing bees/wasps) and the whole side of his head swelled up for days. That happened several years ago.

We also keep a lot of birds in the back yard.
Bird houses, feeders etc. It's a very nature oriented place.

I installed a bird bath in the back yard for several reasons.
1. It provides a more convenient place for the bugs to drink rather than getting into the pool
2. It provides a place for the birds, squirrels etc to drink/bathe

It is bright blue. (Actually lined with one of those blue tarps)

Here's the problem:
The bees have found it.
I don't know my bee species but they're fairly large, large bottoms of yellow/white.
At any one time there's 5-25 bees all drinking from the edge of its water. They come and go from somewhere off the property and haven't located the source. (I don't think that would matter anyway, probably a neighbors yard somewhere)

The other animals come to use the bird bath but the bees chase them off. At least they see all the bees and leave.

I don't want to hurt any insects or animals but was wondering if there is anything I can do to diswade the bees from using it in quantity. A few bees are OK but not so many.

I'm not sure if it's the blue color which attracts them? They probably have another water source but like mine.

I wash and change the water in the bath every 3 days or so and the last time had maybe 15 bees there and appeared to become very agitated I'd bother them to do so. I don't want them to mistake that as an attack and get stung (Not sure if that could happen or not) but have decided to wash/replenish at night when there's no bees there.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance

[kathyp]

try making a water source just for the insects.  you might try a poultry waterer with rocks in the dish.  add a little sugar or lemongrass oil to the water to attract them.  it's hard to get them to change sources once them have found something they like.

 move what you have,or cover it. put out the source you want the bees to go for, where you want them to go. when they have found the source you have provided, you can move your stuff back.

chlorine in pool water attracts them.  maybe you can use something else?

[the kid]

yellow and white ,, sounds more like wasp or hornet ,, try and  google    Plasterer Bees, Masked or Yellow-faced Bees.. 

[Zerock]

Thank you for the tips, I'll try that