Aaron writes:
> I think you may be misinterpreting the question Pete.  

I am seeking  reference source which
would reveal the earliest date
it was scientifically proven or
first known that a colony of bees 
-well fortified with honey, would begin 
to abandon foraging great distances,
in favor of foraging closer to home.

As far as I can see, what is being proposed that honey bees can assess how much honey they have in reserve and that they alter their foraging behavior accordingly. 

I am stating that they do not do this. They have no way of knowing how much honey they have, or how long it would last, so how could they base foraging on this information?

There is some evidence that a colony can and does vary their foraging for pollen based upon how much they have in reserve, and maintain a critical mass of pollen of about 1 kg.

There is no evidence that bees decreased storing honey at any point, and will store ten times the amount they actually need to go through a single winter.

Presumably, both of these behaviors have been produced by natural selection. Bees have been selected to store as much honey as they possibly can, in order to survive for very long periods of time.

On the other hand, pollen is not stored in vast quantities, perhaps because it does not keep well.

PLB

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