> they don't all fly back to their old home which poses the question: How do bees forget?

Yes, I agree, that is a most amazing feature of their memory, their ability to eradicate it. Humans are less able to deliberately erase strong memories, that's why it's so hard to get over that teenage crush (still thinking about her 50 years later). 

This process can be replicated, however, by creating an artificial swarm. You can put an entire colony colony in a box (I have done this), put them in a dark basement, feed the for three days, and they "think" they have swarmed, and exhibit no tendency to go back to where they were. 

PLB

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