Orientation flight question.

[BeeSpace]

I've been wondering, do new bees take their orientation flights as soon as weather permits after emerging or do they wait until they are of an age to become foragers? I assume the latter, but would be great to actually know!

 

[masterBK]

They go on cleansing flights quite early on.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've been wondering, do new bees take their orientation flights as soon as weather permits after emerging or do they wait until they are of an age to become foragers? I assume the latter, but would be great to actually know!

The former - bees can fly from an early age so may need to leave the hive to dump their guts.
Even older bees orientate to an extent every morning before the first foraging foray

 

[Curly green fingers]

I've been wondering, do new bees take their orientation flights as soon as weather permits after emerging or do they wait until they are of an age to become foragers? I assume the latter, but would be great to actually know!

Here's a link.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjACegQIDxAO&usg=AOvVaw0YFdGBlgoNq6b79YPbFapH

And this also on orientation flights.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjABegQIDhAE&usg=AOvVaw3RzJ9gBOgTWuW0BPDy_7N_

 

[Curly green fingers]

The former - bees can fly from an early age so may need to leave the hive to dump their guts.
Even older bees orientate to an extent every morning before the first foraging foray

If there's a shortage of forager's young bee's will join the older foraging bee's but this would only happen if there's lots of nurse bee's to look after the young brood .

When you say early age Bryn how old ?

 

[BeeSpace]

They go on cleansing flights quite early on.

The former - bees can fly from an early age so may need to leave the hive to dump their guts.
Even older bees orientate to an extent every morning before the first foraging foray

That's a good point re cleansing flights - for some reason, I hadn't thought of that (which is ironic as I was sat watching the bees while posting the original post, and trying to wipe bee poo out of my hair)! So, as an aside, when weather is good, any idea how often bees need to take cleansing flights?

Here's a link.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjACegQIDxAO&usg=AOvVaw0YFdGBlgoNq6b79YPbFapH

And this also on orientation flights.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjABegQIDhAE&usg=AOvVaw3RzJ9gBOgTWuW0BPDy_7N_

Really handy links, thank you.

 

[For want of a better word]

If there's a shortage of forager's young bee's will join the older foraging bee's but this would only happen if there's lots of nurse bee's to look after the young brood .

When you say early age Bryn how old ?


When they are babees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

When you say early age Bryn how old ?

from almost day one

Name's Emyr BTW, Brynmair is the name of the house

 

[Curly green fingers]

from almost day one

Name's Emyr BTW, Brynmair is the name of the house

JBM sounds better

 

[Curly green fingers]

If there's a shortage of forager's young bee's will join the older foraging bee's but this would only happen if there's lots of nurse bee's to look after the young brood .

When you say early age Bryn how old ?


When they are babees.

What three week old babes

 

[Swarm]

If there's a shortage of forager's young bee's will join the older foraging bee's but this would only happen if there's lots of nurse bee's to look after the young brood .

When you say early age Bryn how old ?

Bees as young as four days old have been found in swarms. I'd guess orientation flights would be within 24-48 hrs.

 

[beeno]

It takes two days for a queen to harden its exoskeleton, so I would guess the same for workers. They do need to go for cleansing flights after that I would think as they eat all the pollen in the hive which contains a lot of roughage in the form of pollen husks.

 

[masterBK]

Virgin queens may emerge and go the same day with a secondary swarm (caste)