Michael Palmer asked:

   I have often wondered if [displaced] bees are able to find their way
home. If so, how far from the hive, if released, will they return to the
hive?

*********

   Edward Southwick and Stephen Buchmann conducted such studies both near
Brockport NY and near Tucson AZ and published their results, as follows:

Southwick, E.E. and S.L. Buchmann.  1995.  "Effects of horizon landmarks on
homing success in honey bees."  THE AMERICAN NATURALIST.  146:748-764.

   I quote from the abstract:  "Maximum distances from which honey bee
foragers found their nests were about 5 km in flat terrain with no skyline
features and about 9 km in a mountainous region."

   and from the Discussion:  "In our tests, workers released in unfamiliar
distant sites took exceptionally long times to make their way back to the
home colony."  [hours and even days compared to minutes expected for a
direct flight home]

                                                        Adrian




Adrian M. Wenner                    (805) 963-8508 (home phone)
967 Garcia Road                     (805) 893-8062  (UCSB FAX)
Santa Barbara, CA  93106

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*
*  "History teaches that having the whole world against you
*       doesn't necessarily mean you will lose."
*
*         Ashleigh Brilliant's Pot-Shot # 7521, used by permission
*
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