What Happens To Bees When They Get Lost?

If a honeybee loses its hive or is separated by a large geographical distance with no chance of returning, there is a good chance that it will attempt to enter another hive. At this point, the narrative becomes entirely dependent on what types of bees are involved, the health of the hive, whether the foreign bee is bringing nectar and pollen into the hive, and whether they are heavily doused in pheromones.

If a hive is completely destroyed, meaning that the queen bee and all of the larval bees are lost, then there is no way to restart a colony and salvage it. In partially destroyed hives or in the case of a dead queen bee, a new queen can be inserted, around which the drones and workers will once again unite.