>Our  bee counters indicate that strong colonies gain bees from  their
>neighbors - but don't necessarily follow traditional notions of drift...
>Strong colonies may well run to ~100-105% return rates  day
>after day...The weaker ones often drop to 92%, even down to  high 80% returns.
>So, the strong colonies routinely gain bees, the weak  ones lose bees.  The
>obvious conclusion, the weak colonies lose bees to the  strong colonies.

I repeat all this in entirety because it is so very insightful and not widely 
appreciated.   It bears repeating.

For one thing, it makes a joke of the way many of us select hives for 
breeding.

For another, it brings up questions of hive design.  

>(Note, the return rates are usually higher during prime  foraging season when
>floral resources are abundant, may fall off in  early spring and fall,
>possibly due to the aging of the forager  force. Old bees dying). 

I have long contended that drilling a 1" auger hole in each brood box 
reduces this drift, some of which occurs for the simple reason that returning 
bees are attracted to entrances with bee activity and stronger hives maintain 
more entrance activity, especially in cool weather or non-flow conditions.  

Auger holes IMO are an equalizer, since even smaller clusters can be 
present at the entrance when the entrance is small and near the cluster.  

Bees also just seem to naturally like round holes (and cracks) and 
prefer them well above ground level.

I don't care for entrances above the brood boxes, though, for many reasons 
already discussed: loss of heat, problems pulling honey, etc.

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