Slow Bees

[clare p]

I have recently put on a perspex crown board so I can peek into the hive, very interesting!!
Yesterday I showed a friend (ex beekeeper) the hive and we had a look in through the perspex. My friend commented on how "Slow" they were moving about, they were really just standing still on the frames with little action going on. This worried me a bit, but then I thought that maybe that is how they are when they are undisturbed in the hive and he always saw them with the crownboard off and they were more animated and disturbed.
Do you think that is the case?
They are very busy bees outside of the hive and there is lots of pollen still coming in, amazing amounts lots of white pollen.
Cheers Clare

 

[winmag270]

i was once told that bees do about 5 mins work, then toodle off and rest for an hour or so, then go do some more work, though seeing as there are so many bees in a colony everything appears to get done by all the bees working their little sox off

maybe you were just seeing bees having a tea break....?

 

[Onge]

When they are not disturbed they spend a lot of time chilling out.



When the crown board is poped off there like

 

[clare p]

Onge 4 Clare

 

[clare p]

Winmag I'd better buy them some more P G Tips

 

[Stiffy]

Do they have enough stores? I checked a friend’s bee last month which were also very lethargic and on checking had nothing stored away and were starving.

S

 

[BKF Admin]

Do they have enough stores? I checked a friend’s bee last month which were also very lethargic and on checking had nothing stored away and were starving.

S

That was my first thought as well.

I would open them up and check,if stores are low check that there are no dead bees with their head in the bottom of cells,if there is then feed straight away,tipping a bag of dry sugar on a piece of newspaper is better than nothing if they are starving until you can mix a feed up.

Just because they have pollen going in does not always mean that flowers are secreting nectar so its best to open up and check.

 

[clare p]

Hi
thanks for your replies

yes the have lots of stores, capped and uncapped in the broodbox
I have been feeding them and am about to put some more on today

cheers Clare