If we look at a spring swarm, these bees leave the parent hive and fly a certain distance before they settle and build a new hive. This is seasonal migration, with bees seeking new territory to work in.
Absconding is another form of migration. Sometimes if bees run out of stores during a dry warm period they will just leave the hive and go somewhere else.
The giant relative of our honeybee, Apis dorsata, is believed to migrate. These bees are very big and build nests that hang from branches, cliffs, and buildings.
There are other conditions in which bees will go away. If a beehive is robbed of its brood nest by a human or a predator this will result in the bees absconding.
Bees go away by absconding if conditions are not favorable. They will also stop flying when it gets very cold and under such conditions, they appear to have gone away. They are in fact just overwintering and will reappear in spring.