I picked up a swarm of bees a few days ago that was obviously queenless.
Rather than combine them with another hive as I ought to have done, I put them
in their own hive, planning on combining them with another hive later.  I
discovered that they had left (probably the next day).  My question is, "Where
would they go?"  Since they don't have a queen, yet seemed to want to stay
together as a unit, will they search for their old nest until they die (if
they can't find it), or are they more likely to just combine with another
established colony?  What are the odds that they just joined another colony in
the same apiary versus flying off somewhere in search of their old home?  The
box they were in is completely empty of bees.

Layne Westover
College Station, Texas