Absconding

Back in the 80s I had bees in Southern California where the soil was pure adobe. In the winter it was the most godawful sticky clay and in the summer it would completely dry out. Huge deep cracks would appear. Swarms of ants would start to come up from the cracks and take out hives. 

The ants would overwhelm certain hives and the bees would abandon the ship, to hang on a branch until they died. The hives would have honey, brood etc. 

I got a fifty pound sack of diazinon and spread it around on the ground. This worked pretty well until the temp went over 100F. Then the insecticide started to vaporize and the bees started rolling out of the hives, dying. But I digress ...

Pete

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