Activity due to weather?

[Queens59]

My bees are manically flying - there must be 100-150 flying around the hive, and crawling all over the front. I've had them a month and not seen this level of activity!

 

[darrenperrett]

Have you got a queen on a mating flight ?

Darren.

 

[mstrom]

I had a queen who should be on mating flights and one day i was watching my hive and I thought I saw her fly in (but I wasn't sure) and a few seconds later the same thing happened at my hive, a hundred or so bees all flying about within in a few feet of the entrance. I tried to look on the internet to see if that was indeed an indication that my virgin had gone out on a mating flight so I was interested in Darrens response.

 

[Queens59]

Not to my knowledge - they were a nuc. with a 2010 queen, who was there and happily laying on Saturday.

 

[Tom Bick]

Flying lessons

Perhaps you are looking at the young bees taking their first flying lessons around and close to the hive it often happens from 2 - 4pm.

 

[mindTheGap]

Is it sunny? is the hive in the sun? Is the hive too hot, do they have enough space? Usually associated with fanning and bees hanging off the front of the hive.

Have they been hemmed in for a few days (no flying?), are the bees new & hairy? Have you moved the hive? May just be orientation flights.

Do you have more than one hive (nearby)? Are they being robbed?
I have a brood box that I am allowing to be robbed clean at the moment - as you say, manic activity - it's their own honey, but they think all their Christmases have come at once!

 

[hoomin_erra]

Swarm?

 

[Queens59]

Hopefully young bees! I haven't moved the hive, they were put to brood and a half last Saturday, so shouldn't be out of space. We have had heavy rain/showers today so that could be part of it too I guess.

I only have one hive although there are 3 other keepers in the village, but I don't think it was robbing as the alighting board was quite calm - not like pub chucking out time on a Saturday night!

 

[Queens59]

Swarm?

Don't say the 'S' word...hopefully not, they have enough space etc. but will check tomorrow (weather permitting)

 

[hoomin_erra]

Space don't mean jack. I got a 4 frame nuc that started building swarm cells 3 weeks later.

 

[Chris Luck]

Perhaps you are looking at the young bees taking their first flying lessons around and close to the hive it often happens from 2 - 4pm.

Exactly and completely normal, I'd be concerned if I wasn't seeing this throughout the season.

Chris

 

[Firegazer]

Space don't mean jack. I got a 4 frame nuc that started building swarm cells 3 weeks later.

"Space don't mean jack" - that's both profound and succinct, and should be a sig block or on a mug. I like it.

FG

 

[Erichalfbee]

My nuc did this a day before they swarmed.

 

[Onge]

My bees are manically flying - there must be 100-150 flying around the hive, and crawling all over the front. I've had them a month and not seen this level of activity!

Sounds like totally normal orientation flights from a batch of new bees.

 

[SER]

I had exactly the same this afternoon. More activity than usually orientation flights but I put that down to no flights in the last few days.

Si.

 

[Queens59]

Fair enough, they've only been here 4 weeks, so just getting used to what is 'normal'. Thanks for the calming thoughts

 

[Silly Bee]

Fair enough, they've only been here 4 weeks, so just getting used to what is 'normal'. Thanks for the calming thoughts

If the swarm came with the old queen, its possible that they are not happy with her performance, and could be swarming.

Did you inspect recently, were there any queen cells.

I had a nuc swarm after 4 weeks (After they had been re-hived)

 

[Queens59]

As I mentioned earlier - they were a nuc. with this years Q and not a swarm, but a split from an overlarge gentle colony. It wasn't a swarm today - far too quiet. Fairly sure an orientation afternoon, but tomorrow is inspection afternoon so I'll know for certain.

 

[darren64]

Flying lessons

Perhaps you are looking at the young bees taking their first flying lessons around and close to the hive it often happens from 2 - 4pm.

sounds like what was happening to me earlier today,there were probably a hundred (its hard to tell really)bees flying round the hive not going anywhere,we went to the supermarket for our weekly shop and when we came back it was back to normal