<snip, snip. . . .>
> > Some years ago, One of my undergraduate students, Quinn Carver, performed
> just such an experiment.  Working with a Montana migratory beekeeper, he shook
> packages from colonies just delivered from California.  He marked
> thousands of bees with blue paint.   He then drove down the highway
> sprinkling bees out of his pickup truck.  Along the highway were beeyards
<etc. . .>
 
This started out as private email to Jerry, but, as is often the case,
expanded into something more, so I'm posting it:
 
Thanks for getting me closer to the source of the anecdote - probably the
same 'legend' - changed in repetition, but still very recognisable, unless
it is a replication of the original experiment.
 
I wonder if he still has the paper.  It would be of great interest to the
list - and a most appropriate post at this point.
 
I have a sneaking suspicion that when sacred cows get slaughtered on this
list, the ideas will show up in the ABJ and research projects in the next
while.  There are many (silent) readers.
 
Personally, I have little doubt that unless there is robbing in a yard, or
other disturbance that causes elevated defensive behavior from colonies,
that almost any *lost* bee will gain admission to almost any hive -
related or unrelated - at almost any time.  This applies to the
domesticated bees we are keeping these days, and includes US, Canadian,
NZ, and Auz stocks.
 
In our management we never consider possible fighting.  I haven't seen a
serious case of rejection when combining hives for years now, either.  I
suppose it could be because I'm a better beekeeper now, and it wouldn't
occur to me to combine at a 'wrong' time, but I did see it years ago in
the fall, when poor judgement resulted in huge heaps of dead bees at the
entrance.
 
These days, we just combine bees holus bolus.  Nor do we worry about drift
back and forth between hives, except to ensure that individual hives are
not depleted due to poor positioning in a yard.
 
Re.: The ultimate in load screening - A few beekeepers around here are
using vans - one or two tons - fully enclosed, with a roll-up back door
and a power tailgate.  I've played with the idea, and maybe will write
more about the pros/cons later.  I'm addicted to my boom loader and flat
deck though, I use it for everything. Nets seem like a lot of trouble, but
with more populated hiways and longer hauls, the safety they provide might
pay off.
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                      VE6CFK
Rural Route One, Swalwell,  Alberta  Canada  T0M 1Y0
Phone/Fax: 403 546 2588      Email: [log in to unmask]