Adult bee depopulation of colony in the fall months. Closely resembles colony swarming, though in absconding bees leave their home without colony rearing of queen swarm cells. Absconding bees abandon brood and leave bee bread and honey in combs behind.
Absconding is when the adult bees completely abandon their hive. All or almost all of the bees depopulate (leave) the hive along with the queen. They leave behind a small number of young bees, unhatched brood, and reserves of bee bread and honey stores. The absconding bees form a temporary bivouacbivouac:
a temporary cluster of swarming honey bees intermediate between leaving home and finding a new nest cavity
cluster. This behavior resembles swarming; the difference between absconding and swarming is that absconding bees do not leave swarm queen cells in the hive, which occurs when bees swarm.
Absconding is most often a fall event. It is not known what factors trigger absconding. It may be related to elevated mite numbers or to virus in colonies. Bees may abscond when chemical smells are strong, such as from pesticides, treatment chemicals, or plasticware. Pests such as ants or small hive beetles, frequent disturbances by beekeeper, use of excessive smoke, and starvation, are other potential causes that may also lead to absconding.
Swarm captures sometimes abscond in a few hours or the next day after they are put into a new hive with only foundation frames or new boxes (lacking bee smell).
Some absconds attempt to usurp an established colony. The abscond lands on the outside of a hive, workers enter to kill the existing queen, and then the queen and swarm move in and take over the colony.
adult bee depopulation; swarming; usurpation (when an abscond attempts to enter another colony)
Apis Information Resource Center. Swarming and Absconding. Accessed 2023. https://beekeep.info/a-treatise-on-modern-honey-bee-management/managing-honey-bee-populations/swarming-2/
Anderson C. 2023. Absconding in Honey Bees. Accessed 2023. https://carolinahoneybees.com/absconding-bees-why-bees-leave-the-hive/
“Why do bees leave/abscond in fall and leave their honey?” YouTube, uploaded by Kamon Reynolds – Tennessee’s Bees, 2 November 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=492BN_lTGiA
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