What are they doing?

[BigAshW]

View attachment VID_20210917_070424_01.mp4
These girls have been doing this for a couple of days now. Are they trying to chew through?
View attachment VID_20210917_070424_02.mp4

 

[Patrick1]

They look like the are trying to work out what that dreadful colouring is, maybe confusing it for pollen, they seem to be trying to scratch or claw it up like they would if it was pollen.

Nothing wrong with the bees I think, just the box.

 

[BigAshW]

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to paint these ones by the time they arrived. Will sort it when I transfer these to a full box next year.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've seen loads of bees kept in these boxes which haven't been painted and yet to see them have an 'issue' with the colour. Bees sometimes nibble the edges of entrances assumedly to make them smoother - I have seen them do the same with smaller wooden entrances as well.