Taking A Few Bees To The Flowers, Does it work?

[Jerry Kinder]

Does it help to capture a few bees from a hive and release them at a new nectar source? I’m new at beekeeping and live in a city where most of the flowers are from trees and shrubs around town. My first two bee packages are coming this April. After they get settled in I was thinking about releasing small groups of them around the neighborhood. There are several yards in the area that have a large number of fruit trees (mostly orange) that are down wind of my place and I though that it may be easier for the bees to find these trees if I take them and release them there. I’m not sure if the bees find new flowers by smell or sight. Most of the places are within 400 yards as the bees fly. Will they find their way back to the hive? How far away can I take them with any chance that they will find their way back (homing bees?)? I guess I should try and get the foraging bees from outside the hive as they are oriented to my yard. I read about a study where they kept moving a nectar source further from a hive to figure how far the bees would go to get food but I haven’t found anything on how far you can move a bee to the food and have them make it home.

[BuzzyBee]

I don't think I would do it. The bees will send out scouts in every direction to look for nectar and they will find it. Even if it's downwind. They will then come back and tell more bees exactly where it is then they will go and tell even more bees when they come back. I don't know how far you can take them before they won't find their way home again, but I think you should let them do what they do. They've been doing it a long time.:)

[Ravenseye]

The appearance of flowers won't necessarily mean the existence of nectar for the bees to forage on. They'll figure it out!

[Sundance]

Let the girls to their own devices. They are excellent
devices!!

At only 400 yards those bees will locate any and all
nectar sources. They will go out to a couple miles
if need be.

400 yards is a walk in the park for your bees.

[IndianaHoney]

Exactly as Sundance said.

Taking the bees to the flowers is a waste of time. Once you release them, they are likely to be a little stressed and be more worried about returning home than finding nectar. You will also disturb the hive getting the bees, and cause them to forage less for a few hours. Besides if there are flowers within range of the hive, chances are the bees will find them long before you will.

Whenever I'm looking for the best nectar source, I follow my bees.

[sqkcrk]

NO!! Leave them bees alone. They'll find the nectar source on their own.

[Jerry Kinder]

:eek:WOW, everyone agrees. I won't bug the bugs.

Thanks for the responses. Jerry

[sqkcrk]

One thingg I thought of is, which bees would you take? The ones thaalready flying i guess? How far away from the hive are the flowers? If you took bees too far away from their hive they might not find their way back home. Especially if they weren't foraging age bees to begin w/.

The bottom line is that finding a nectar source is what bees have done on their own for millions of years. They don't need help. And they wouldn't appreciate it anyway. :)

[Ruben]

If it is the best nectar source I would think they would be on it, the fact that they are not tells me they have a better one.

[sqkcrk]

If it is the best nectar source I would think they would be on it, the fact that they are not tells me they have a better one.

Generally true. Though it may become a better source and the renegade foragers will find it and then get the colony to change their focus. Not all of the foraging forage on the prime source.