> > > At that time I noticed about 50-100 bees from this hive at the old hive
>> >  location looking for the entrnace that was now 15 feet to the South.
> > > Over 8 weeks and these ladies still remembered!    How long will "confined"
> > > bees remember the previous hive location?
 
> >Were the bees actually looking for the entrance or were they attracted by
> >the debris on the grund where the hive had been?
>
> >When there is nothing around in the way of forage, bees are *very*
> >interested in anything with even a slight bee smell.
 
> They were clearly flying around the old approach flight path. There is a
> deadout TBH right next to this spot and the bees showed no interest.
> There was nothing of any obvious interest and the bees did not fly
> around the hive sites of the two other hives that use to be located a
> few feet to the south to this particular hive position.
 
Very interesting observation.  I gather that the bees did not pile up
there and that they all went home after investigating?  We seldom find a
case where the bees perish in a clump at a former site after a hive is
moved if their original hive -- or even another --  is nearby, although it
can happen.  Weather may be a factor in how long the bees can remain
out of the hive without cooling down and needing to cluster.
 
This is the type of thing that keeps bees fascinating.  The behaviour
of bees will vary quite widely depending on circumstance and history --
very much like that of people.  I understand that greenhouses are another
case where the behaviour of bees is unprdictable: one time the bees adapt
fairly well to the situation after moving in, while another time many will
perish on the glass.
 
There are doubtlessly explanations, but I doubt that people are privy to
many of them.
 
Allen
 
---
* Want to cut the volume of mail from BEE-L?
* Want to improve the signal to noise ratio?
Send email to [log in to unmask] saying
join bestofbee