I also keep the hives in my small apiary in a straight line, and they all look exactly the same although the number of supers may vary.
It's pretty obvious by the reaction of the guard bees at the entrances when a stray bee attempts to enter, although it wouldn't surprise me that some drifting occurs.
With regards to drifting, would it be equally the case that beneficial microbes and other symbionts might be transmitted from the strong colonies to the others?
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