At last the temperature has climbed to 15 C and the little devils are coming out in some numbers!
A mixture of:
1) bees unable to fly properly, crawling off and dying;
2) bees coming out to do orientation flights, round and round the hive, up and down, underneath, voiding at some point, bit more flying, then back in the entrance - old bees?
3) bees doing orientation flights, as above, but with no obvious voiding - new bees?
There was also a kerfuffle at one point and what looked a bit like the queen coming out, and being ushered back inside. I've got it on video so, if it comes out properly, I'll post it and you can all see what you think.
Just checked and it seems to be just a worker with a fairly long abdomen.
The colony seems to be on week 1 of its Spring, with a significant number of bees voiding as though this is their first time out.
I saw NO obvious foraging at all yet.
FG
A mixture of:
1) bees unable to fly properly, crawling off and dying;
2) bees coming out to do orientation flights, round and round the hive, up and down, underneath, voiding at some point, bit more flying, then back in the entrance - old bees?
3) bees doing orientation flights, as above, but with no obvious voiding - new bees?
There was also a kerfuffle at one point and what looked a bit like the queen coming out, and being ushered back inside. I've got it on video so, if it comes out properly, I'll post it and you can all see what you think.
Just checked and it seems to be just a worker with a fairly long abdomen.
The colony seems to be on week 1 of its Spring, with a significant number of bees voiding as though this is their first time out.
I saw NO obvious foraging at all yet.
FG
