Hi:
 
We are writing this up for publication - but in the meantime this might
be of interest.  We just completed a series of tests concerning the fate
of bees that fall off trucks while being transported.
 
The results clearly indicate that:
 
The bees immediately start to search for home
 
These bees located and moved into colonies in a nearby apiary
 
The "lost" bees selected specific colonies in the beeyard
 
The marked and released bees found the beeyard in ten minutes from 250
yards, about 1 1/2 hrs from 750 yards.
 
Bottom line, bees dropped off a truck in an area totally new to them
don't just sit around.  They go out, find, and move into other colonies.
 
 
Cheers
 
Jerry Bromenshenk
The University of Montana-Missoula
 
Melissa Webber
Matt Loeser
Quin Carver
 
[log in to unmask]
 
http://grizzly.umt.edu/biology/bees