Last week about 7 AM I noticed about a hundred bees on an outside window sill about ten feet from the feral bee hive in the garbage can. These bees looked a little smaller than "my" ferals. Some of them were in little clumps of ten or so bees, others were by themselves spread out across the sill. They looked like they were resting, just hanging out. I got to see them up close and personal from the other side of the window. Some looked like they were begging for food from other bees but mostly they just "rested" there and then one by one took off. Are bees their full adult size when they first get their wings and become foragers? There had been orientation flights for weeks every afternoon before this happened.
Is there a light on the inside the window that could attract them?
I know I get several bees on occasion at the back door when the light is on. You would think they all would go back to the hive before the sun goes down, but I get bees at the back porch anyways.
The light is on in that room for a few minutes every day at that time but the sun is coming up rapidly then, too. I can't remember if it was overcast (which would have made it darker than usual) that morning or not. Any thoughts on the size thing?
What about light in the evening as they could of been there all night. This would explain the little groups as they do this as a last resort and when starving. And then you seen them as they were leaving in the morning again.
Yes, they are full size.
You're right, they could have been there all night. The light is on in there sometimes at night. (It's a laundry room)
I'm a little freaked out about the reference to starving. I have no way to check on these bees stores without pulling the combs apart. I assume the combs are attached to multiple wood cross bars underneath the top piece of plywood. (I can post pictures after I am allowed) After seeking advice on another forum about trying to move them into another hive, I decided to leave them alone until next Spring as I feared it might be too late to move them now -taking a chance on wrecking their winter stores. They have been working like crazy bringing in pollen and I assume nectar. When I could see the tops of the combs I could see that they were storing honey. Now the combs are totally covered with bees. I can't see the comb at all. I've been crossing my fingers that they will have enough to make it. I've been thinking (maybe I'm wrong) that I would rather not feed them if I don't have to as I would have to feed them out in the open unless I could lay something on the top board whenever the bees move down into a cluster. Lately the top plywood has been totally covered with (surplus?) bees when I have opened the lid. My concern about feeding out in the open is because of our close quarters here (1/4 acre lot) with neighbors, robbing, pests, etc.
The reference to starving is what you see after a time when bees are trapped in a honey house, or in a small cluster of left behind bees when a hive is moved, etc. I'm not suggesting anything wrong with your hive. I'm just suggesting that "lost" bees, stuck out away from the hive, such as the case with being attracted to a light, will eventually form small groups and feed each other.
Okay, thanks. They look like they are booming to me, but what do I know??!! lol- I'm pedaling as fast as I can.