[Troutsqueezer]

I hate to sound so cold because bees cost a chunk of change but many times bees abscond for no reason known to mankind, even brand new packages. It's happened to me more than once. Chalk it up to bad luck.

 

[Troutsqueezer]

Trout, I have hived thousands of packages over the years. Way to many.....and I fail to recall any abandonment not proceeded by an ant invasion or a dead queen or some other "significant event." In yards where we pour hundreds at a shot I see different levels of drift but a wholesale "lets get the bleep out of these new digs" is not something I ever recall seeing.

Can't say that anymore, can ya? I've only hived a few dozen and it's happened thrice.

 

[Troutsqueezer]

I've hived a couple of dozen actually. All the ingredients for a happy life were there in my cases. Beekeeping isn't rocket surgery, the basics are easily understood so when they do leave with no signs pointing to why they chose to do so, you just have to chalk it up to bad luck. Truth is, this happens to a number of my beekeeper buddies as well. Can't say any of us notify the bee supplier when this happens, we suck it up and move on.