Hi All
 
Thanks for your postings on the above subject. The consensus seems to be
that I will have to wait until all bees whose navigation system was locked
on to the old location are dead, before I can move the nuc back safely.
Obviously the later I move the nuc back the fewer bees will be lost from the
nuc to their old hive, and after about 3 weeks few if any will be lost.
 
This raises a question for me at any rate.
 
The bees that were flying when in their old location, are presently flying
using the land marks as they now exist, and with their navigation system
locked on to the present location of the nuc. It is postulated, that if the
nuc were returned to the old apiary, say today, that many of the bees would
recognise the old land marks, and would not re orient their navigation to
the new location of the nuc but rather to the location of their old hive.
This suggests that they are capable of storing their present location and a
previous location at the same time.
 
Suppose I now moved them to yet another out apiary, say for a week, and then
move them back to the first location, what would happen then?.
 
I am a hobbyist, as can be seen from this type of question, and I know that
a commercial beekeeper would probably not be interested in the least in
this. However I would be very grateful for any feed back.
 
Sincerely
 
Tom Barrett
49 South Park
Foxrock
Dublin 18
Ireland
 
e mail [log in to unmask]
Tel + 353 1 289 5269
Fax + 353 1 289 9940
 
Latitude  53 Degrees 16' North
Longitude  6 Degrees  9' West of Greenwich