Hi Jim I have never tried this but some old-time beekeepers have told me that if bees are closed up in their hives for 4 or 5 days they have to reorient and can be moved prior to reopening the hive. Frank & Phronsie Humphrey [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Jim Moore <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Monday, January 05, 1998 11:34 AM Subject: Time length of bee's memory > I'm curious, how long will a bee remember their hive location? In late >October I rearranged my hives to get more sun and less shade during the winter >months. The hives were moved only about 15-20 feet. Saturday it was warm enough for >a major cleansing flight. One hive by 10 AM was really busy. At that time I noticed >about 50-100 bees from this hive at the old hive location looking for the entrnace >that was now 15 feet to the South. Over 8 weeks and these ladies still remembered! > > How long will "confined" bees remember the previous hive location? > > Regards, > > Jim Moore > 2 years, 4 Hives >