On Mon, 26 Sep 1994, Jerry J Bromenshenk wrote:
 
> Well, by noon there were several hundred foragers outside the east
> window, trying to get in where the hives had been 2 weeks before.
 
Jerry, I've been thinking more on this.  What would be interesting is to
know what those bees would have done if you had had another (new)
observation hive inside the window on the above foragers' original stand
and they could have had access.
 
Would they have joined the new hive there, tried to rob it, or neither of
the above.
 
One would have to mark the bees to find out.  Fascinating!
 
On a similar note, if a swarm loses its queen, the bees all return to the
original (parent) hive.  Otherwise they never (so far as we know) go back
to visit their old friends.  Or do they? :)
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper
Rural Route One, Swalwell,  Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
Phone/Fax: 403 546 2588      Email: [log in to unmask]