1979] Seeley, Morse & Visscher — Honey Bee Swarms 
the number of bees releasing Nasanov pheromone at the nest 
entrance increased dramatically. Fig. 3 shows that 22 sec after the 
swarm arrived 5 scenters had appeared at the entrance opening. 
Within another 35 sec their number had leaped to 35-40. These 
initial scenters were primarily the swarm’s scouts. Of the first 9 bees 
scenting at the nest entrance, 5 (56%) carried blue marks. Even after 
over 100 bees, about half of them scenting, were visible at the nest 
entrance, 25% of the total was composed of marked bees. Because 
the blue-marked scouts were only 1.3% of the swarm population, it 
is clear that these scouts were contributing disproportionately in the 
O-pLIFT-OFF BEGINS 
13:32.30 HOURS 
-LIFT-OFF h COMPLETE 
.LIFT-OFF COMPLETED 
-FIRST SCENTERS AT 
NESTBOX 
■2 SCENTERS AT NESTBOX 
N 30 M 
90 M 
120 M 
150 M 
Z 34-180 M 
5 --210 M 
U 240 M 
'270 M 
O -T300 M 
t 4-p330 M 
360 M 
390 M 
_ FLIGHT 
DISTANCES 
-SWARM CLOUD ca. 20 M 
10-fFRONT OF NESTBOX 
BLANKETED BY BEES 
•SWARM CLOUD ca. 20 M 
DIAMETER 
QUEEN ALIGHTS ON 
NESTBOX 
QUEEN ENTERS NEST 
ca. 5 80 M—SWARM ARRIVES 
AT NESTBOX SITE 
5 SCENTERS ON NESTBOX 
-35-40 SCENTERS ON BOX 
1.1 BEES/SEC ENTERING 
NESTBOX 
100+ BEES ON NESTBOX 
50+ SCENTING 
4.3 BEES/SEC ENTERING 
SEVERAL 100'S BEES ON 
NESTBOX, 50% SCENTING 
.6.7 BEES/SEC ENTERING 
BEES STREAM "LIKE A 
VORTEX" INTO ENTRANCE 
ca. 90% OF BEES IN 
NESTBOX 26- 
SWARM CLOUD ca 2 M 
" 'DIAMETER 
ca. 1000 BEES ON BOX 
ca. 1000 BEES IN AIR 
3.6 BEES/SEC ENTERING 27- 
NESTBOX 
<100 BEES IN AIR 
2.2 BEES/SEC ENTERING 
ca. 200 SCENTERS ON 
NESTBOX 29- 
-"1.3 BEES/SEC ENTERING 
20-J NESTBOX 30-1-15 SCENTERS ON BOX 
250-300 BEES ON BOX, 
ca. 150 SCENTERS 
.1.3 BEES/SEC ENTERING 
NESTBOX 
150-200 BEES ON BOX, 
ca. 100 SCENTERS 
10-12 BEES IN AIR 
ca. 100 BEES ON BOX, 
ca. 30 SCENTERS 
28--1 BEE IN AIR 
Fig. 3. Time line of events during the flight of a honey bee swarm and its subse¬ 
quent entry into a new nest site. Note how within 30 min a swarm of about 11,000 
bees broke cluster, flew 580 m, and moved completely into a new nest cavity. 
