Bees ignoring the rule book!

[Dared]

Bees really busy today, lots of orientation flights and still bringing in pollen from somewhere? Even have 1 or 2 drones flying around!

Thought they are meant to be tucked up in bed

 

[Rosie gill]

mine seem to be being robbed! lots of dead bees and wrestling out side the hive. have closed the entrance and now have bees hanging round out side carrying pollen! feel really guilty

 

[Skyhook]

The first rule of bee club is, there are no rules.


.

 

[Norfolk]

The first rule of bee club is, there are no rules.


.

The second rule is......bees can't read books

 

[pargyle]

mine seem to be being robbed! lots of dead bees and wrestling out side the hive. have closed the entrance and now have bees hanging round out side carrying pollen! feel really guilty

Do you know where the robbers are coming from ? Have you got some feed on the hive that is encouraging robbing ?

 

[Rosie gill]

No idea where they are coming from. no feed in it. am so depressed, this is my first colony and I lurch from worry to crisis back to worry!!!

 

[pargyle]

No idea where they are coming from. no feed in it. am so depressed, this is my first colony and I lurch from worry to crisis back to worry!!!

Try the pane of glass propped up in front of the entrance ... doesn't work as well as it does for wasps but helps .. entrance as small as one bee space ... see if you can see which direction the robbers are coming from just to make sure ... if all else fails block entrance for a day .. I would try and let them out though if they are still flying ... didn't you have snow up there last week ? Must be pretty cold by now. Are you sure it's robbing and not just dead bees being cleared from the hive by the mortuary bees ?

PS: Ahh .. I see you have a few posts the same scattered round ... best to keep it to the one thread as you will get advice concentrated here and not duplicated.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Bees really busy today, lots of orientation flights and still bringing in pollen from somewhere? Even have 1 or 2 drones flying around!

Thought they are meant to be tucked up in bed

All four of my hives are highly active today despite being inert for days. I had almost made up my mind to move three of them about 50 metres to a position around the end of one of the old sheds. I suppose a few more weeks won't matter in the great scheme of things.

 

[Rosie gill]

PS: Ahh .. I see you have a few posts the same scattered round ... best to keep it to the one thread as you will get advice concentrated here and not duplicated.[/QUOTE]

I couldn't see my previous posts so I thought they hadn't been uploaded, sorry, thanks for the robbing advice, its really useful

 

[alldigging]

I could see some activity at one of mine without leaving the house.

 

[drstitson]

when will people learn.

the winter cluster is not a fixed thing - it is not (in UK climes) a constant period of hibernation. if weather ok cluster will break and bees will fly.

they do not "go to bed" in oct/nov and "wake up" magically in spring.

mine are out on the loquat blossom at every opportunity even in depths of winter with 2m of snow on ground.

however for finman's bees.....

 

[BILL.HEARD]

when will people learn.

the winter cluster is not a fixed thing - it is not (in UK climes) a constant period of hibernation. if weather ok cluster will break and bees will fly.

they do not "go to bed" in oct/nov and "wake up" magically in spring.

mine are out on the loquat blossom at every opportunity even in depths of winter with 2m of snow on ground.

however for finman's bees.....

As a matter of interest do you manage to get the fruit to ripen in the spring?

 

[madasafish]

Mine are dyslexic: one hive out exploring at 8C after -3C overnight three days ago.
Rest comatose.

Damp, gray and overcast so it is not sunlight bringing them out but toilet flights (?).

Neither know nor care. No rules for bees - just broad guidelines...

 

[Tim.S]

Six hives - some very busy today although no pollen as it was a very dull day. One hive will be busy, the hive next to it completely asleep. I had a quick peek through the quilt and they are very happy tucked up in the warm thank you very much. Both queens from the same hive this year but that's bees for you. Takes all sorts.

 

[blackcavebees]

Lots of pollen going in to 4 of the hives today, not sure where they are getting it but it's coming in - I thought the ivy was finished. Only worry is a few girls late home not quite making it when temp drops quickly here mid afternoon

 

[Swarm]

It was beginning to get dark around 15:20 and still plenty heading out.

 

[waverider]

…….. mine are out on the loquat blossom at every opportunity even in depths of winter …….....

E.Japonica in Lincs! Are they hardy enough?

 

[REDWOOD]

when will people learn.

I think they just did until we get some new beekeepers next year and you can tell them again

 

[beeno]

mine seem to be being robbed! lots of dead bees and wrestling out side the hive. have closed the entrance and now have bees hanging round out side carrying pollen! feel really guilty

Hi Rosie,
I closed my nuc down to one bee space because I thought they were being robbed. It turned out that it was lots of desperate bees trying to get into their own hive. I am not saying that this is the case with yours - just be careful!
All the best.

 

[Dared]

when will people learn.

the winter cluster is not a fixed thing - it is not (in UK climes) a constant period of hibernation. if weather ok cluster will break and bees will fly.

they do not "go to bed" in oct/nov and "wake up" magically in spring.

mine are out on the loquat blossom at every opportunity even in depths of winter with 2m of snow on ground.

however for finman's bees.....

Ouch someones a bit tetchy was just making lite conversation nothing so serious!