Eeeek...starvation

[madasafish]

orientation flights?

sounds like robbing? Which would explain temper?

 

[steve56616]

I checked my hives today as not had much chance with weather last week. Same thing, two hives had almost no stores at all. One of the nuc's had lots of dead bees and dead brood where they have given up rearing. Was actually a swarm that moved into a nuc I left on the floor and went to move it last week and found a swarm in it with a laying queen. There was brood and stores so I left with the thought of hiving it today. One week can make a huge difference. Why so much starvation? Weather has been rubbish but loads of bramble out?
I quickly fed these three colonies.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bramble needs warm sunshine to yield nectar. Just because the flowers are out it doesn't mean they are of any benefit to the bees. I have saved store frames in a couple of colonies

 

[bontbee]

sounds like robbing? Which would explain temper?

...Two hours later and I go back to see the bees and they are all as quiet as lambs, popping in laden with pollen and popping out again......But for now, all is calm and as it should be. Weird.

I wouldn't expect everything to be calm two hours later if they were being robbed....?

Mine often go on mass orientations after a day or two without sun. The flights are stunning to watch - huge buzzing and lots of activity (and I still think uh-oh, did I miss a QC?). A mass of bees fly in front of the hive, facing it. A lot of the ones that do head skyward do so in a bit of a spiralling, random flight, not that of a practised forager. The foragers are still whizzing in and out, on their beeline, amongst all the apparent chaos. After half an hour or so, the flight ends and only the foragers are flying. It often happens that several colonies will undertake orientation flights at the same time...

 

[Millet]

I wouldn't expect everything to be calm two hours later if they were being robbed....?

Mine often go on mass orientations after a day or two without sun. The flights are stunning to watch - huge buzzing and lots of activity (and I still think uh-oh, did I miss a QC?). A mass of bees fly in front of the hive, facing it. A lot of the ones that do head skyward do so in a bit of a spiralling, random flight, not that of a practised forager. The foragers are still whizzing in and out, on their beeline, amongst all the apparent chaos. After half an hour or so, the flight ends and only the foragers are flying. It often happens that several colonies will undertake orientation flights at the same time...

That is my take on the madness that i have witnessed many times over my short life as a keeper of bees, a forager coming in fully loaded and after a short wrestle with an orienteering bee at the entrance they sharp get back on there feet and crawl in among the chaos.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I wouldn't expect everything to be calm two hours later if they were being robbed....?

Mine often go on mass orientations after a day or two without sun. The flights are stunning to watch - huge buzzing and lots of activity (and I still think uh-oh, did I miss a QC?). A mass of bees fly in front of the hive, facing it. A lot of the ones that do head skyward do so in a bit of a spiralling, random flight, not that of a practised forager. The foragers are still whizzing in and out, on their beeline, amongst all the apparent chaos. After half an hour or so, the flight ends and only the foragers are flying. It often happens that several colonies will undertake orientation flights at the same time...

Yes that describes the activity exactly. It's only now you mention it that I remember the bees were, in general, facing the hive.