Why is this, whatever it is, taking so long?

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BeeKeyPlayer

From Rainham, Medway (North Kent) UK
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Location
Rainham, Medway (North Kent) UK
Hive Type
National
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44 plus 17 managed for another
I've just found this video I took some time ago.

What is going on here? What are these bees doing to the bee clinging to the wall near the entrance? This behaviour had been going on for some minutes before I started to video it. I lost track of the picked on bee when it feel to the ground at the end.

The video shows 2.5' of this harassment but the whole process was much longer. No need to watch it all to get the idea. Of course, it might not be harassment at all. The speed of some of the movements of the 'attending' bees is astonishing.

 
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Looks to me as though at least one of the "defenders" is trying to sting it and not having a lot of success.

James
 
I’ve not got a clue what is happening but I’ve seen it several times at my hives.
 
good video, a real case of bullying! Never noticed it at my hives but clearly they didn't like her!
 
Is the apparent size difference an optical illusion or actual?
 
I agree, I think she is smaller. After clinging on all that time, she falls off when they finally leave her alone.
It seems a simple answer to me. Workers are probably just driving off a bee from another colony. It is quite a common occurrence in my apiary.
 
I've just found this video I took some time ago.

What is going on here? What are these bees doing to the bee clinging to the wall near the entrance? This behaviour had been going on for some minutes before I started to video it. I lost track of the picked on bee when it feel to the ground at the end.

The video shows 2.5' of this harassment but the whole process was much longer. No need to watch it all to get the idea. Of course, it might not be harassment at all. The speed of some of the movements of the 'attending' bees is astonishing.


I saw something like this the other day, just after a colony combine.
It reminded me of a head butting jack hammer at the time :) .
 

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