[bjorn]

I caught another swarm yesterday in a bait hive on my property. It is located 8 feet up in a tree and several acres away from my apiary. I plan to move them to the apiary once I see pollen being brought in. In the past, some of the bees have always returned to the original bait hive site. I've tried putting an obstacle in front of the entrance to motivate reorientation with very little luck. I've relocated them 5 miles away for a few days to a couple weeks, then brought them back to the apiary. This worked better. But, some of the bees always return to the original bait hive location. I suspect it's older foragers who recognize the area and simply return to what they know. Has anyone found another method that works better?

 

[GregB]

Whatever you do seems reasonable to me.
Why worry of few lost foragers?
I would not.
Yes, wardrobe malfunctions are annoying but the show must move on.

Think bigger picture and let go of some minor collateral damage - there is no other way in the beekeeping.
Saving every little bee will paralyze you.