Peter Borst wrote:

> Greetings,
>         That bees have a "mental map" is certainly evident to anyone
> who has attempted to move a hive a short distance

> Bees forage over a range of about 100 square kilometers
> (Seeley). Evidently they form a "mental map" of this area and can
> find their way back to the nest even if they are taken somewhere they
> haven't been and released (Gould).
>  - - - - - - - - - - - -
> Peter Borst
> Apiary Technician
> Dyce Honeybee Lab
> Cornell University
> Ithaca, NY  14853
>

    When I take the honey off, and robbing is bad, the supers on the truck
will be full of robbers(yes I cover everything and even duct-tape large
cracks). I don't like to take these bees with me as they are a nuisance at
home and in town. When this happens, I remove the covers and drive a
hundred yards. After parking for a minute or two, I repeat the process. By
the time I get the truck back to the highway, sometimes a quarter of a
mile, most of the bees have flown off with their loads. I have often
wondered if these bees are able to find their way home. If so, how far
from the hive, if released, will they return to the hive?  Peter?