>  For the rest of the season I kept seeing 
marked drones in the original colony but failed to see any at all in 
other hives including ones in my other apiaries.  I am sure drifting 
does occur but I think it depends on more than just the layout of the hives.

I think that drones would be very different to workers.  We know that most
drones do not remain in the hive in which they originate, but move off to
other hives some distance away where they tend to remain.  We also know that
drones will fly up to 14 miles.  All that makes sense as it involves the
avoidance of inbreeding and it is common amongst many animals for the males
to move away.

I am not so sure about the reasons for worker drift.  Just before varroa
arrived in the UK, our National Bee Unit (then based in Stratford-upon-Avon)
marked many workers and then went looking for them in surrounding hives over
a radius, I believe, of 1.5 miles.  Many marked bees were found, suggesting
that it is quite normal for workers to move to other hives; indeed, it has
been said that up to 30% of the bees in a hive originate elsewhere.

Best wishes

Peter 
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W

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