> You seem to have your 'greater than' and 'less than' reversed. It is
> written - dunno where, lots of places I think - that you can move the
> hive less than 3' or more than 3 miles without losing bees. From my
> limited experience, I'd have to say that rule of thumb is pretty
> reliable.

Al, your point is quite correct for an established colony, but I think that
Ian Watson's original point referred to a newly hived swarm, which can be
moved shorter distances than 3miles for a limited period, before the bees
become orientated to their surroundings.

I would expect that, as for all things to do with bees, there is no simple
answer. Shorter distances, e.g. 6 feet, may be a problem by the next day. It
may take a week for the foragers to reach out to 2 miles, and obviously the
weather will be an important factor.

This is only theorising; does anyone have practical experience to share?

John Burgess, Editor Gwenynwyr Cymru/The Welsh Beekeeper
[log in to unmask]