Bees acting crazy after dark.

Just came home to find one of my nucs out the front of the house flying very strongly in the dark, the front entrance of the nuc was very active and when i turned on the house and outside lights the bees all starting coming towards the window, it was very hard to even get near the nuc with a torch because they were coming at the light and me and were very aggressive , even the cat went out for 5 mins and came back in with two or three stings, this has all only happened in the last half hour and is totally unlike the bees in this one nuc, up until this evening you wouldn't have even knew they were there.

all the bees that were at the hive were its own bees as the other nucs bees have a stripe and these were dark.

they were all flying strong today, maybe something has annoyed them just before i arrived, will give it an hour or two to see do they settle down.

Darren

I'm no expert but something has obviously upset them big style, if for some reason it ever happened to me i would try to light the hive up and turn all the house light's of and hope the bees find there way back.

Edited to add if it did happen at my hive location they would all be dead by now.

Something has spooked the,
Turn the outside lighting off and like Bo Peep's sheeps they will all find their way home!

Yeghes da

Well if its anything like here in Scotland its a very mild evening. Late fed and not yet finished bees have been taking syrup enthusiastically all day since late morning, also carrying an unknown white/pale buff pollen in modest amounts.

However, unless you have had a critter....4 legs or 2......upsetting them...I would give consideration to active robbing going on....the nuc could be either the culprit or the victim. Saw one being actively robbed today, and on close examination it was seen to be a drone layer petering out and the neighbours were on a smash and grab raid. Bees very active, and, as is normal with robbing incidents, they were hostile.

Into the lions den said:

Well if its anything like here in Scotland its a very mild evening. Late fed and not yet finished bees have been taking syrup enthusiastically all day since late morning, also carrying an unknown white/pale buff pollen in modest amounts.

However, unless you have had a critter....4 legs or 2......upsetting them...I would give consideration to active robbing going on....the nuc could be either the culprit or the victim. Saw one being actively robbed today, and on close examination it was seen to be a drone layer petering out and the neighbours were on a smash and grab raid. Bees very active, and, as is normal with robbing incidents, they were hostile.

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Hi ITLD, That could be male holly flowering if you have any in your locale. Mine were out collecting it today, but small loads as it was fairly cold.

Darren, update?

its raining heavily here now but this morning when it was dry all seemed normal with very little happening,
with the mild weather i have still to put the mouse guards on these nuts, maybe a mouse tried to go inside i was thinking, as they are in a walled yard i can't think of what else would have pissed them off.

Darren

beeno said:

Hi ITLD, That could be male holly flowering if you have any in your locale. Mine were out collecting it today, but small loads as it was fairly cold.

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One or two of the apiaries in question have a reasonable number of holly trees in the vicinity. However I was out again today, albeit at different locations, and had a look at three individual male trees but saw no sign of flowering going on.

Bees still taking syrup. Most of the laggards have more or less finished their syrup now and to my great surprise were still making fresh wax in the poly hives. Do not know if there is any significant foundation drawing going on, but they were making fresh ladder comb behind the feeder barriers, also actively capping freshly taken syrup. Last couple of days a real bonus. No flying today due to the rain, but feeders were still being worked as it is mild enough. Very few colonies (<50 from >2500) now looking doubtful for having enough food stored to see them through to the OSR.

Less good news.......saw a couple of drones flying.

Having time on my hands right now whilst unable to do any physical work leads to me doing some things I normally would not.........like nosing around the bees at a time when they should be left alone.

Torch

Can I recommend keeping a flashlight (torch) with a red or green lens in case you must do something with your hive after dark. The bees ignore red and green lights at night. I move my hives around with one and they pretty much stay inside. They don't wrap you up with the green light.

Into the lions den said:

One or two of the apiaries in question have a reasonable number of holly trees in the vicinity. However I was out again today, albeit at different locations, and had a look at three individual male trees but saw no sign of flowering going on.

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Holly usually flowers for a short period in May/June

jenkinsbrynmair said:

Holly usually flowers for a short period in May/June

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Same here, both male and female trees have flowers, but right now they have berries on them, just getting ready for xmas.

Hivemaker. said:

Same here, both male and female trees have flowers, but right now they have berries on them, just getting ready for xmas.

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Here only a few have a lot of berries now....almost all have already been stripped bare by mistle thrushes......and those not bare are being guarded by them to keep the food for themselves. They don't half go for the blackbirds if they have the temerity to sneak in for a snack.

Never paid much attention to holly as its a pretty uncommon tree hereabouts but I too thought it a late spring flowerer.

Mahonia has pointy leaves a bit like holly and will be flowering about now.

alldigging said:

Mahonia has pointy leaves a bit like holly and will be flowering about now.

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and probably a closer pollen match than holly

Yes my mahonia was very busy a few weeks ago.

Probably not the same thing but BBKA News DECEMBER p.410 "Zombees"
Bees leave hive at night and then collect in a disoriented way on the ground when a bright light is shone? Not quite the same as yours which fly, perhaps.

Like a summers day here yesterday as far as foraging bees were concerned. All colonies collecting pollen and I spotted quite a few on the male holly flowers, some Ivy pollen also going in. I shall have to take a photo of the male holly flowers for all you doubting Thomases. As said before it is the second flowering of holly trees in my area, but no flowers on the female hollies. Lots of berries though from the spring flowering. Yes, I have one flowering Mahonia in the garden, but not seen any bees on it as it is in a shady place, but that anyhow would not cover the mass of pollen going in and most neighbours not got that species.
Zero mite drop on two hives, half on another and the problem hive is just that at the moment. Thanks for the updates from a commercial beek.
Sorry Darren thought we were on '...in the Apiary' section.

doubting Thomases

Not me, this morning.
I have a male Holly with flower buds about to open
No bees though.....blowing a very wet gale outside.

This is the stuff that's in flower now, noticed quite a few bees working it in between rain showers
Fatsia japonica

Erichalfbee said:

doubting Thomases

Not me, this morning.
I have a male Holly with flower buds about to open
No bees though.....blowing a very wet gale outside.

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Muchas gracias ErichA. No need to get the camera out then. Started to feel a bit lonely...