Below, this is clearly compatible with my suggestion that "lost bees" are likely senescent. Going through the process of senescence myself I recognize the signs; at least for now I do.

> A well-established link exists between behavioral duration and senescence in honey bees. Current data suggest oxidative stress influences functional senescence in worker bees, but the precise series of cellular events leading to this phenomenon remain poorly understood. After approximately 14 days of foraging, oxidatively damaged proteins accumulate in the brain (Seehuus et al., 2006) and cognitive ability declines (Behrends et al., 2007).

Margotta, J. W., Roberts, S. P., & Elekonich, M. M. (2018). Effects of flight activity and age on oxidative damage in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Journal of Experimental Biology, jeb-183228.

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