I would also concur with the questions about the distribution of feral colonies.  Do bees really space themselves out with some intentional consciousness of moving a certain distance from their neighboring hive or the mother colony from which they swarmed?
   
  It makes logical sense from a human standpoint, but in two cases I've seen two colonies in the same tree, one high and one low, and if they were really part of the same colony, then that was one for the record books.
   
  Further, I was called to remove to colonies from a storage shed.  Ond colony was between the 2x4 studs on the East side and the other was between the studs on the South side of the shed.  As I removed the siding, both were two, very distinct colonies.  But they were separated by 10 feet and a corner.
   
  What was really interesting with these two colonies is that both oriented their comb in a North-South direction.  The shed was set under the deep shade of large trees so I doubt sunlight/heat had anything to do with their choice.
   
  Grant
  Jackson, MO
   

       
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