New colony swarming. Refuses to stay in hive.

[Acebird]

It is like CCD, really not known.  Only the behavior is recorded.

[eltalia]

Guys, I never had bees absconding.
What makes them do it?

IF one accepts communal bees - or indeed "communal" anything - are aware of a Future and plan accordingly
it is sudden change which triggers flight.
Some observed triggers here (.au) are;
Extended rain period over a poorly sealed hivebody (operator error) - gone within hours of first rays of sunshine.
Greenant attack - unlike other ants here GA go on 'crusades', at _their_ communal decision. Think Viking raids
as a humanised analogy.
Livestock intrusion - shifting cattle into a paddock  holding unprotected hives can be catastrophic.
Toads - Moving a hive to set it down in new location without providing a 450mm (H) stand will see bees gone quicktime.

No doubt there are others - some whisper "spray plane" as an accusatory trigger however having run scores
of hives in pollination tasks I myself cannot confirm spraying crops has the effect of absconds happening.
Classic sign is no uncapped brood, very little honey stores and obvious slack(remiss) housekeeping to
bottomboard (detritus) - and no QC or newly formed cups.

Cheers.

Bill

[BeeMaster2]

Another reason I think they abscond is Africanized genetics. Bees in Africa have to get up and move when a dry spent starts and follow the food source. They do not/cannot hunker  down for a 6 to 9 month dry spell like our bees do during winter. Here in the states our bees have a lot of Africanized genetics mixed in. When the nectar stops while it is warm, they abscond.
Jim

[SiWolKe]

Thanks, Bill.

Sawdstmakr,
My bees have monticola genes, hope that does not mean african absconding traits. So I have to keep them satisfied with stores.

[BeeMaster2]

It is the Apis mellifera scutellata that has the genetics that drive it to move when the nectar dries up.
Not sure how close the East African bee?s genetics are to the scutellata.
Jim

[SiWolKe]

Nice article here on that:

http://www.pedigreeapis.org/biblio/artcl/EOABJ91en.html

[eltalia]

Yep, that sounds like a fairly reasonable plan. I'll put that into action. Than you.

Any new doings?

Cheers.

Bill