Periods of high activity outside the hive

[Falesh]

For most of the day the hive activity is fairly uniform with bees coming and going depending on the weather. However some days, for a period of time, a lot bees pour out of the hive and fly around. There are quite a few doing circles up and around the hive, which I think are new bees learning the hive location, as well as a lot that seem to stay flying about within a couple of feet from the entrance.

I am curious if the new bees deliberately go out together to learn the surroundings, as well as possibly do cleansing flights and play flights, which would explain the large amount of activity. Or do they just go whenever they feel like it and there is another reason for the activity. Any ideas?

Here is an example of the behavior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A5yIWgIxyE

 

[MartinL]

If you look closely you'll spot the little "L" plates on their backs!

 

[madasafish]

Orientation flights for new bees. Poo breaks after bad weather..

 

[Falesh]

Do they usually do that all at the same time though? The weather has been good both all today as well as yesterday, however suddenly at 4pm loads just decided to pile out and do whatever business they had.

 

[Ben90]

The queen lays a thousand or more eggs per day, so the bees which emerge around the same time would take orientation flights at around the same time. If the weather has been bad for a few days then you'd expect the number of bees to take orientation flights at the same time to compound.

 

[oliver90owner]

Weelll, lets think why they might all do it together. Must be a reason and it must be a simple one.

An analogy might be shoals of fish or a flock of birds, herds of wildebeests or other predated animals - protection for the individual in numbers.

Think, if newly flighted learners come out one by one the local predators could have a field day all day or until satiated, come back any time and grab a few baby bees on their first attempt at flight and trying not to get lost, at the same time.

Does that seem to be a reasonable explanation? Seems simple enough to me.

 

[Falesh]

The queen lays a thousand or more eggs per day, so the bees which emerge around the same time would take orientation flights at around the same time. If the weather has been bad for a few days then you'd expect the number of bees to take orientation flights at the same time to compound.

The queen lays constantly so unless they have a behavior which makes them want to go out as a group they should go out spread out unless weather stops them but that hasn't been the case in this instance.

Weelll, lets think why they might all do it together. Must be a reason and it must be a simple one.

An analogy might be shoals of fish or a flock of birds, herds of wildebeests or other predated animals - protection for the individual in numbers.

Think, if newly flighted learners come out one by one the local predators could have a field day all day or until satiated, come back any time and grab a few baby bees on their first attempt at flight and trying not to get lost, at the same time.

Does that seem to be a reasonable explanation? Seems simple enough to me.

It's certainly possible that this is the case. Out of interest is this a commonly witnessed behavior?

 

[Dishmop]

Do they usually do that all at the same time though? The weather has been good both all today as well as yesterday, however suddenly at 4pm loads just decided to pile out and do whatever business they had.

Mine come out at about 2 'clock every other day.

 

[Ben90]

The queen lays constantly so unless they have a behavior which makes them want to go out as a group they should go out spread out unless weather stops them but that hasn't been the case in this instance.

Indeed she does lay constantly. Which means that as many as 1,000+ bees will take their orientation flights per day, with rollovers from previous days with bad weather where they couldn't take their orientation.