> Will swarms in flight to a new home settle if they lose track of the sun by clouding?

Swarms do not navigate to their new home using the sun. According to Tom Seeley, most of the bees in the swarm do not know where they are going and are guided there by the scouts. There are several hundred bees that know the destination and they flight over the top of the airborne swarm, darting in the direction of the swarm. This is in Tom's book, "Honeybee Democracy"

Additionally, bees do not need the sun to be visible to orient. They see polarized light and can tell where the light is coming from in that way. Further, they reference the sun's direction in the communication dance but when they are flying they would be using visible landmarks. If they are familiar with the route, they don't need a map or compass any more than you or I would.

PLB

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