Fellow Beekeepers,
As you are aware, some beekeepers mark their hives with a bold geometric
pattern, to keep bees oriented to their own hive, to cut down on drifting.
This seems to be used where hives are kept in long rows, where bees do not
have distinct landmarks to guide them home.

Here's an idea.  Mark the hives in this situation with an odor.  Staple a
piece of cinnamon bark next to the entrance of one hive.  On another hive,
staple on a whole clove.  A paper spotted with vanilla on another.  Yellow
pine bark.  Sassafras root.  Achillea.  Sage.  Rosemary.  The odor sources
would best be durable, non-rain soluble items.  Or they could be sheltered
by a bit of plastic, folded over to shed water.

A bee returning to the hive has better odor recognition, I believe, than
recognition of geometric shapes or colors.

I would appreciate your unmerciful criticism, or unbounded praise for this
proposal.  :)

Cheers,
Kyle