Out & About

[grizzly]

Went to get some bits from my Apiary this morning, around 10am, and the sun was full on the fronts of the hives, 2 out of the 3 were flying in the largest numbers i have seen since Oct.

They must have been desperate to get out. twas good to hear the buzzing again.

 

[Finman]

They must have been desperate to get out. .

My bees must be totally inside 2 months. I hope that my apiary will not become desparate before that.

I look the forecast map and you have warm again. We have only +3C and strong wind.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi Sweetums,

2 out of the 3 were flying in the largest numbers i have seen since Oct.

Sorry about this but the books all indicate that the bees cluster at 14 degrees Celsius, so how come your bees were out fying? The books tell us that the bees will not fly untill the ambient temp is warm enough for them to heat their bodies to enable them to fly. I don't think the temp reached anywhere near 14 degrees do you? So what did you do to warm tem up?

Regards;

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Looks like both Sweetums bees and mine do not read the books you refer to BCrazy! Because mine where out flying as well.

9 deg c today and rising

 

[BKF Admin]

Sweetums bees are in a hay barn undercover so that could be the reason?

 

[Hivemaker.]

My bee's also flying well today,and spoke on the phone earlier to two other bee farmers and they also commented how well the bee's were flying,one said they must have had there legs crossed.

Quite often see bee's out collecting water when the temp is only just around 10c, must be they don't read the books.

 

[Poly Hive]

14? Pah.

AMM fly happily at 2 or three and mine, not AMM I add were popping about at 2. In fact that happy fact allerted me to the fact that (blush) a box I had marked as dead was in fact very much alive.

PH

 

[Bcrazy]

OK guys,

That was a response I would have received from some members of my association. If its not in the books then it does not exist.

It was ment as a spoof nothing serious. By the way my bees were out and about too.

Regards;

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Regards;

WE KNOW MO, we spotted the devil just going along with your spoof

 

[Finman]

Hi Sweetums,
Sorry about this but the books all indicate that the bees cluster at 14 degrees Celsius,

Cluster's temp is something elese than 14C.

When bee start to fly its wing muscle temperatute must be 25C.

When out temp is +5C and sun is shining, bees succeed to fly cleansig flight and return to hive. It is somewhere in book too.

****************

In our country the angle of sun is now so low that it does not warm up the bee. In Marsh the sun is so bright that when the bee is on the snow, sun warms it so much that it can fly back to home. If it is windy, it blows bees away ... and ofcourse they do not come out then.



.

 

[MJBee]

Re your "dead box" PH
All 4 of my colonies were flying on any reasonable day last year and I assumed all was well. It wasn't until the first inspection that I found 3 of the 4 completely empty - no bees, no brood and the "flying" had been the surviving colony clearing the remaining stores.
Might be worth a peek to see if there is a cluster
Regards Mike