Last Night

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margob99

House Bee
Joined
Nov 15, 2009
Messages
400
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Location
Amersham
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
2
I wondered if - with the late night heat and the waxing moon - I might see the bees out of the hive in the dark, doing that occasional late night thing we've commented on in a past thread. I went down to the hives with a torch and bingo - the girls were out on the porch. What drew my attention though was the incredible noise coming from the inside of the hive. The humming, buzzing noise was intense! Anyone else see late-night hive action last night?

Edited to add: This was at about 10.30pm
 
I wondered if - with the late night heat and the waxing moon - I might see the bees out of the hive in the dark, doing that occasional late night thing we've commented on in a past thread. I went down to the hives with a torch and bingo - the girls were out on the porch. What drew my attention though was the incredible noise coming from the inside of the hive. The humming, buzzing noise was intense! Anyone else see late-night hive action last night?

Edited to add: This was at about 10.30pm
hi, yes my girls were out on the front also. Being a newbee i thought something was wrong, but all seemed well this morning.
 
Mine were busy too - the roaring you hear after dark is them evaporating the water from the nectar and means there is a good flow on - with us at the moment it is blackberry with chestnut not far behind.
:cheers2: Mike
 
I had some out at about 10:30, just chillin' I believe.

Ian
 
What you heard was the roar of a colony after a great days' nectar hunting/ collection :):).
The draught generated has to be felt to be believed !!

John Wilkinson
 
indeed, one can use harmless smoke - waft it in one side of the entrance and you will find it appearing on the other side of the entrance - proof that the bees have their own aircon system !!

happy days !

S
 
The smell of a heather apiary on a windless warm evening has to be experienced to believe, the very air heavy with the scent of Ling heather.

Wonderful

PH
 
Aw, great to know about the humming being a sign of good nectar flow and a good day's foraging - thank you, guys!

My hive has a very strong smell I've not smelled before; didn't smell like this last summer; wish I knew what it was. I wish I could say it was a good smell, but it's more like shaggy wet dog smell. Hope that's not a bad sign ....
 
indeed, one can use harmless smoke - waft it in one side of the entrance and you will find it appearing on the other side of the entrance - proof that the bees have their own aircon system !!

You may have just answered the question I had- is this why, at 10.30, mine are on the porch but only at one side- same side each night?
 
If you have an OMF and your five is on a four-legged stand then kneel down BEHIND the hive one evening and poke your face underneath....you'll be amazed at the noise and activity!
 
Checked our this evening. The splits are fairly quiet with a few bees chilling on the front step, but the two big hives are making one hell of a racket - clearly audible from 15 feet away. They've got no entrance blocks on, and there are a lot of bees at the front, humming away.
 
Rae,

Have a close look, you will fine half of the entrance has bees with bums out fanning like mad and the other half has bees with bums in again fanning like mad.
simple recirculation in one side and out the other simples:)
 
Doesn't quite work the same with open mesh floors :)
A few days ago I was working a hive and didn't realise my smoker was burning very well and close to the hive.
Thick smoke was drifting under the open mesh floor ! I quickly cottoned on as the bees set up a roar to drive the smoke out , the force of the draught from the top of the hive had to be felt to be believed :coolgleamA:.

John Wilkinson
 

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