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Date: | Tue, 25 Jan 2000 10:56:13 -0700 |
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Michael Palmer asked:
I have often wondered if [displaced] bees are able to find their way
home. If so, how far from the hive, if released, will they return to the
hive?
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Edward Southwick and Stephen Buchmann conducted such studies both near
Brockport NY and near Tucson AZ and published their results, as follows:
Southwick, E.E. and S.L. Buchmann. 1995. "Effects of horizon landmarks on
homing success in honey bees." THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. 146:748-764.
I quote from the abstract: "Maximum distances from which honey bee
foragers found their nests were about 5 km in flat terrain with no skyline
features and about 9 km in a mountainous region."
and from the Discussion: "In our tests, workers released in unfamiliar
distant sites took exceptionally long times to make their way back to the
home colony." [hours and even days compared to minutes expected for a
direct flight home]
Adrian
Adrian M. Wenner (805) 963-8508 (home phone)
967 Garcia Road (805) 893-8062 (UCSB FAX)
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
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* "History teaches that having the whole world against you
* doesn't necessarily mean you will lose."
*
* Ashleigh Brilliant's Pot-Shot # 7521, used by permission
*
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