Bees lose memort after CO2.

[AdamD]

I found this on t'internet today:

"I'm using CO2 to two frame nuck forage force bees stay in nuck. Carbon dioxide knocks out the bees. Fainting bees lose their location memory. They cannot return to their old hive. Don't need to put nucks 3 miles away. I hate transport nucks".

CO2 is used during artificial insemination of queens but I can't recall seeing it being used as described. Seems like an interesting idea to stop made up nucs losing their bees back to the original hive.

[NigelP]

Not sure it would work. I've certainly never heard of co2 having an effect on a bees memory.....and if overdosed will aphyxiate them.

[Alfred]

Is losing a few foragers worth buying the kit?
A couple extra shakes of juvenile bees should stock up the assembly well enough anyway
You could just move the nucs for a couple of weeks or failing that feed them manually.

It does sound like something I do a lot-create solutions for problems I don't actually have

[MickBBKA]

I put a piece of chewing gum under the roof, it never fails, honest. I can sell you a packet for £50

[AdamD]

I have had incidences where pretty much ALL the bees leave a nuc after making one up in the same apiary - even when it has shaken in bees from the centre of brood frames or from supers - young'uns - who would not be expected know the way back home. How does the message get transmitted to these bees from the flyers that DO know their way back home? Is there something like a buzzing run from the older bees when they realize they have no queen and she is nearby so the bees act like a swarm and leave together?

[Ian]

Even when bringing nucs back from other sites for queen or cell introduction you’ll often find some end up stronger than others. Block the entrance when they are made up and release in the evening when dark. You don’t get the big rush for the door and lots of bees in the air! I think many congregate towards the more attractive nucs. Perhaps some get fanning faster, some will naturally be stronger. I also try to confine nucs made up at the same location for 24-48hrs provided they are cool with some ventilation and perhaps a spray of water they are fine.

[JoJo36]

I was told to keep the nut in a cool dark place for 24-48 hours and when they are put outside, they will re-orientate from where they are placed, also helped by putting a branch in front of the hive?! It worked for a nut I had but maybe just lucky?!

[JoJo36]

NUC not nut!!

[JoJo36]

I've been sniffing the C02!!

[NigelP]

I was told to keep the nut in a cool dark place for 24-48 hours and when they are put outside, they will re-orientate from where they are placed, also helped by putting a branch in front of the hive?! It worked for a nut I had but maybe just lucky?!

Bees will re-orientate to a new position even if you simply turn the hive 45 degrees. Its when they've been out foraging that the problem's occur as they "remember" the old route home to their previous position. I had a classic example of this a few season ago during a bramble flow. I had to turn a hive 45 degrees so the returning bees headed to what was now a blank wall. They continued to do this for around 3 weeks until the flow was over. At first it was confused dot com.... but after a few days they still landed on the blank wall but now rapidly scurried around to the entrance. It wasn't until the flow was over that they eventually returned to their new entrance. I'd save the twigs JoJo another folk story I'm afraid.