> Question: is there any supporting evidence that dumping the bees on the
> ground away from the hive prevents the laying worker(s) from returning?
> Or is this simply a commonly-practiced superstition?


I doubt that there is evidence; rather the method I said earlier we follow
does seem to work well, better than any other it seems.  In Oz it is
worthwhile to save a hive assuming there are a goodly number of bees still
there.  Because we more or less work honey around the year, the saved hive
will produce in the next flow.

The supposition rather than superstition is that dumping the bees one or two
paces in front of the hive will disrupt things, and the nuc or a frame of
brood in all stages with adhering nurse bees, plus a queen will be in effect
a normal situation when the dumped bees get back home.

It seems to me that many of the 'normal' management practices we perform are
short of good evidence as to their efficacy.
 
> Does anyone know whether a simple controlled trial has ever been performed
> to see whether it makes a bit of difference to go through the motions?  It
> would be very easy to perform such a trial by creating a group of laying
> worker colonies, and then attempting to requeen them all with a nuc, but
> only shaking the bees in half of them.

I suggest that for something like this all that would be needed would be to
keep good records over say a couple of seasons as to the different methods
and results.  A new project for you and the boys.  Keep us in the loop. 

Geoff Manning

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