Drifting Honey Bees
Drifting is common in honey bee colonies. You may not notice it happening but you will see the results when it occurs. When bees drift, they return to the wrong hive instead of their own. While this seems harmless, drifting can be the cause of major challenges for beekeepers. In this article, you will learn the primary reasons it occurs and practical steps beekeepers can take to minimize its impact.
When I first started beekeeping, I thought it was odd that the hives on the ends always seemed to have a larger population than others. Not an ideal situation, it causes more time in hive management tasks to keep the populations equalized.
What is Drifting in Honey Bees?
Drifting occurs when honey bees return to a hive that isn’t their own. In most cases, these are workers or foraging bees that are bringing back pollen, nectar or propolis. Though of course, drone bees and even queens can return to the wrong hive.
A queen returning from a mating flight will likely be killed. This leaves her colony in a queenless condition. Drone bees have less hive loyalty than workers – it is more common for them to visit other colonies.
Sometimes, they are accepted and sometimes not. But bees are practical in a sense and it is hard to turn away a worker with a full load of food.
Guard bees at the hive entrance may decide to let them in. Once drifters enter a hive – they tend to consider it home and return again and again.
Primary Causes
Drifting is more common in apiaries with many hives placed close together. Also, hives arranged in long straight lines encourage homing mistakes.
When all the hives look alike, bees may become confused and something as simple as strong winds may cause errors in navigation.
No matter how much we try to accommodate our honey bees, it is not natural for many colonies to be living in a small area. This contributes to confusion.
Drifting may be more common during some seasons. For instance, the frenzy of hive activity during the honey flow is a prime time for mistakes to occur.
Why Drifting Can Be a Problem
Drifting is a natural behavior in honey bees but not as likely to occur in nature. A few stray bees are no big problem. However, major drifting causes imbalances in colony populations and increased possibility for disease or pest transmission.
Personally, I strive to keep most of my hives balanced in population. It is more difficult to manage bees when you have a mix of large strong colonies and small ones.
Bee robbing situations are more common. This is why beekeepers who can – often move small colonies to another yard when splitting beehives.
Also, it is not just about population control. Bees that move from one hive to another may carry diseases like American Foulbrood (AFB). AFB is a serious bacterial disease that can wipe out entire apiaries.
Honey bee viruses and diseases such as nosema are also pathogens that can spread through the apiary.
Drifting honey bees can also carry pests such as varroa mites from one colony to another.
Beekeeper Tips to Reduce Drifting in Your Apiary
Do not despair. There are several strategies that beekeepers can use to reduce drifting bee behavior. Below are some practical tips you can try.
- distinctive hive markings
- avoid long straight lines
- proper spacing between hives
- minimize overcrowding
- entrance reducers
- landmarks in the apiary
Distinctive Hive Markings
I paint beehives different colors in my bee yard. This helps bees find home much better than having a long line of hives all one color.
You can also create decorative beehive designs to mark hive fronts. I use vinyl stickers near the hive entrance to help bees find their way home. This also helps me keep hive notes on conditions.
Avoid Straight Lines
Placing a long row of hives in a straight line may be convenient for the beekeeper but it is not ideal for the bees. It is much better to create small groupings of hives or arrange them in an arc or semi-circle.
Hive Spacing
While you certainly can place hives very close together, it might be in your best interest to leave some space between them. It makes hive inspections easier for the beekeeper and can reduce drifting issues.
Minimize Overcrowding
How many hives can you have in one location? That varies greatly depending on your climate, regional resources etc.
Yet, having a large number of colonies crowded onto a small lot is the perfect setup for problems. You may need to move some beehives to new yards to promote healthier colonies.
Using Entrance Reducers
Entrance reducers are used to help bees control the hive entrance. However, they can aid in reducing honey bee drifting too.
When a visitor bee tried to enter the wrong hive, she is more likely to be repelled if the entrance is smaller.
Create Landmarks
Honey bees use landmarks in navigation. Planting tall shrubs or small trees between groups of hives aid bees in finding the right hive.
If you don’t want to plant something, what about a bee garden art pole or similar item that will stand up high enough to serve as a guide?
Final Thoughts
Drifting can cause significant problems in large apiaries. It is also troubling for small beekeepers. However, you can take some practical steps to arrange your hives in a manner that will promote healthier more productive colonies.
Additional Resources