itma
Queen Bee
Sounds long and convoluted and cavalier about losing bees and there's us fretting over the half dozen or so we might not get by moving their hive.
3 miles or 3 feet or block the entrance with grass for 24hrs if moving more local seems pathetically simple ...
But then it is that - simple (and you lose virtually zero) IMHO
Its about stacking the odds in your favour, minimising the "drift back".
Do any (less than 3 miles - lets call that "local") move in winter, with no tricks whatsoever, and there will be effectively zero drift back. No need even for grass-stuffing.
Try it in Summer and you'll get some returners. How many will return depends on a whole lot of factors about the move. But each trick will reduce the proportion of 'homesick' returners.
Move a couple of miles when there's plenty nearby forage and grass-stuffing may well be good enough.
But not necessarily good enough for moving 50 yards in Summer ...
