> Most of my experience is with Carniolan-type bees.  My working hypothesis 
> is that they vary the ratio of house to field bees dramatically throughout 
> the year

This may be corroborated by the observed fact that during the main flow, 
every bee in broodless honey-filled boxes removed from a hive and set aside 
(the abandonment method), can find their way home within minutes.  At other 
times of year, a portion of the bees will tend to stay with the boxes.  I am 
assuming that those remaining bees have not yet oriented, and are still 
solely house bees.

Of course, this is not rigorous proof.  Scent may be a/the factor in finding 
the home hive.  Scent following can can easily be demonstrated where the 
boxes are set to touch the main hive and the bees walk home, rather than 
fly, but, in the first instance, bees can be observed to lift off the 
abandoned box and fly fairly directly, with maybe a small circle or two, 
into the home hive.

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/2000/diary072200.htm#Abandonment
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I have seen the future and it doesn't work.
Robert Fulford 

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