> But I can tell you that drift can be substantial between apiaries a half mile apart.
> This was confirmed by our National Bee Unit just before varroa arrived here.  They marked hundreds of bees in their home apiary and...found [them] in hives over a very large area.

So this is obviously not navigation error (exception: neonics?). Are these foragers looking for weak hives to exploit? Are they entering with stores? I see guard bees dispatching apparent interlopers all the time. I presume they come bearing no gifts.

My other question Randy, is whether those hives represent splits and some foragers were just returning "home." But I'm pretty sure I know that answer.

S

Skillman, NJ

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