Observation on the drifting behaviour of bees

Inglés. An analysis is made of the drifting phenomenon in different colonies of Apis mellifera ligustica Spin. on the basis of direct observation and of literature references. A hypothesis is put forward concerning the influence of various components in this phenomenon. It is concluded that drifting is only one aspect of a more general and constant phenomenon of dispersion of the bees among the hives situated in one biotope. Levels of drifting of 5% to 70% were recorded, probably depending on a highly complex phenomenon which in part occurs according to the criteria described by Fresnay (1963), but that is also due to a marked tendency to "wandering" on the part of the bees, which presumably does not concern only the foragers. In particular this dispersion may be defined as a "temporary drift" which may be followed by a final adoption by the new host colony at least until the next change for further wandering or drifting. The suggested hypothesis of a continuous interaction among the bees of the families present in a particular biotope in a dynamic equilibrium of environmental pressures and beekeeping practices seem reasonable

Italiano. In questa nota, sulla scorta di osservazioni dirette e riferimenti bibliografici si sono analizzati vari aspetti della deriva delle api al rientro in alveare, ipotizzando l'esistenza di una interdipendenza fra i molti comportamenti presenti nelle colonie per cui la deriva risulterebbe solo un aspetto di un piu' generale fenomeno di dispersione costantemente presente fra gli alveari situati in un determinato territorio