> Is there any evidence to indicate that bees scout for a new site prior
> to
> swarming or is the scouting all done from the swarm when it is
> clustered on
> the tree branch.

I have some questions about this, too and hope this does not sound too
weird.  I am a new beekeeper with four hives purchased back in February,
all of which swarmed, two small swarms (separate days) landing in the
same site, on a trellis in a very thorny rose bush.  The first swarm I
smoked and knocked into a hive very roughly, and they seem to have
adapted nicely to their new home.  I did that because I didn't know
better.

Then I had some instructions from the very nice beekeeper who sold them
to me, who said to put an empty hive as close under them as I could get
it and they would just kind of melt like ice down into it.  This I
tried, bending branches down and they politely and slowly receded UP the
branch, away from the empty hive.  I found the swarm at 2:50 pm.  Hours
later, the swarm had drooped down, and many bees went in the hive and
walked around on the frames (which smelled deliciously of honey and wax)
and came out.  Meanwhile, lots of free-flying bees in the air.  I have a
low stone wall, so protected in my bee gear, I sat at eye level about
two feet from the swarm on a pretty day.  But I think the bees have
sonar.  I heard over and over again a strange high noise like
skreeeeee     skree skree skree.  It was not irritating and
nervewracking like a locust.  It sounded comforting and consoling.  Am I
nuts?  Was the queen saying, "I am here.  I am here.  Stay with me.
Stay with me.  Don't trust that trap, we have a better place to go."
?????

At 7:10 pm I made a big funnel with a white jacket and an old wire
screen and forced this swarm into my hive box and set it up as I had the
other one, but in a few days, all but about 20 of the bees were gone.

How smart are bees, anyway?  Had these bees already picked another
location?  Did I hear one (or them) calling out to the others?  These
were not overlapping sounds like two bees .....

What does anybody know about bee sonar?

Elizabeth Petofi
near Orange, Virginia