What's happening here?

[Mandeville]

This happened about an hour ago.

There were hundreds of bees flying everywhere - all round the garden. And a lot of the bees on the landing board were fanning like mad. I thought they were about to swarm (again!!) but after about 20 minutes or so the numbers in the air and on the board started to reduce and now they are coming and going as usual.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A mating flight?
Were the bees fanning at the entrance to make sure the queen got home safely?

 

[Midland Beek]

When queens go on their mating flights the workers can become very anxious. There might be a lot of running around and fanning at the entrance to try and guide her home.

Sometimes when a queen leaves for a mating flight she can be seized on almost immediately by drones. A cloud of drones can quickly form.

 

[Mandeville]

So many ??? I didn't expect that.

I didnt see any drones, but that doesn't mean there weren't any!

As they are all back indoors and behaving normally, does this mean she has returned safely? It's very breezy here today.
(Fingers crossed.)

 

[Chris Luck]

Can be an aborted swarm that returns to the hive, I've had two in the last week that did that then went properly a couple of days later. Or as has been noted it can be when a V.Queen falls short of the hive on return and creates a panic.

Chris

 

[enrico]

Also happens with a rapid outside temperature change, especially if sun suddenly goes onto hive entrance after a mainly cool day. They will all start flying at once but settles down after 20mins or so.
That's my experience anyway!

 

[Mandeville]

Can be an aborted swarm that returns to the hive, I've had two in the last week that did that then went properly a couple of days later. Or as has been noted it can be when a V.Queen falls short of the hive on return and creates a panic.

Chris

Now you've depressed me again !

 

[Mandeville]

Also happens with a rapid outside temperature change, especially if sun suddenly goes onto hive entrance after a mainly cool day. They will all start flying at once but settles down after 20mins or so.
That's my experience anyway!

That's cheered me up !

 

[Mamahilz]

mine did this yesterday- then it clapped with thunder, rained for 10 minutes, and they all went inside and settled down. today gathering pollen, busy in and out but no irritability and seem to be happy!

 

[chickendave]

one of my hives did the same today at around 12.30 pm
It looked like they were swarming but when I inspected the hive no QS at all,eggs larvae and brood in all stages, which suggests she is still there possibly?
How knows the bees don't read the books do they

 

[Mandeville]

the bees don't read the books do they

No, they certainly don't and for a new beek, it makes it all so hard.

I saw a queen in this colony 5-6 days ago, but she was just emerging - about a week after they'd swarmed. So a mating flight is a possibility, but I guess another swarm is also on the cards, I could have missed some QC.

Should I have a look or just leave 'em to it in the hope that if they do go again, I can catch them this time?

 

[Bucks_Boy]

I had a cast come out for a fly around the other day, it settled on a bush about football sized, then over the next hour there was a persistant line of bees flying back to the hive.
They obviously changed their minds
Eventually, there was only 1 or 2 hundred left with the virgin.

the easy way to populate an apidea

 

[oliver90owner]

I guess another swarm is also on the cards

Doubtful, after nearly a week.

RAB

 

[Mandeville]

I guess another swarm is also on the cards

Doubtful, after nearly a week.

RAB

Thank you! That's reassuring.

But I'm a bit confused. Is it unlikely because the queen I saw will have dealt with any other queens or cells that I missed? I'd hoped that would be the case but I wasn't sure if it could be relied on (well as much as anything can be depended on in this game!).

 

[Mandeville]

Oh dear

They've done it again!! But a bit more seriously this time I think.

About 2o'c there was a rugby-ball sized collection of bees sitting in an oak tree about 20 yards from the hive. Mr M bravely ascended into the tree equipped with branch loppers and bucket and gathered 'em in. We tipped them into a cardboard box, turned it upside down onto a sheet and went off down to the shed to assemble a hive to put them in, feeling rather pleased with ourselves for collecting our first swarm.

But .... 10 minutes later there was another swarm in the same spot!! So we suited up again, collected them and added them to the box.

A bit later we saw the parent hive was absolutely smothered in bees on the front and one side, and the cardboard box was also covered.

Not knowing what else to do, we carried on with the carpentry, but after about hour and a half, they'd all gone back inside the hive, and there was just a couple of corpses and a drone left in the box.

So was this a swarm but the queen wouldn't come out to play?

Or were we too quick to collect them? There wasn't much activity around the hive when we caught the first lot, so it wasn't obvious that there were more to come out.

Should we do an artificial swarm tomorrow?

Any suggestions as to what to do with this indecisive lot of bees would be very welcome.

Thanks
Mandy

 

[Eyeman]

A common reason for loads of bees flying around the hive and congregating at the entrance is when 'young bees' first take to the air. I see this regularly on fine days- the bees just spiral around about 1-2m above the hive before coming back to land.
At least I've always believed they were youngsters on their first flight!!
Alec