Every time I work up some fresh earth the bees seem to flock to it. Not in big numbers but consistant, just the same. What do you think the girls are after in the soil ? Is it moisture, dormant pollen, or do you think the scent from the earth is attracting them ? Any thoughts ?
What conditions? weather? time of year?
Be careful...they are not wanting anything from the fresh earth, they are checking out what potential threat is in the area digging around.
Some things are imprinted within the bees. One, most of the natural enemies, also dig. Skunks, bears, etc. Two, they are usually black or dark colored.
So it is very common to have bees get very irritated when digging in the garden, or plowing the fields. They smell fresh dug earth, and they instinctively think some predator is in the area.
You can be nearby the hive all day long. Bees will ignore you. Take out a shovel and start digging a hole, and you'll see the new interest the bees take in you. And sometimes, they don't just check things out, they think you are the predator. And a sting will be coming soon.
Quote from: jclark96 on March 09, 2010, 09:59:37 PM
What conditions? weather? time of year?
Conditions were sunny, about 54 deg.F this past Sunday.
I had them checking out the dirt from the trees I was planting about 100 yds from the closest hives.
Quote from: BjornBee on March 09, 2010, 10:01:08 PM
Be careful...they are not wanting anything from the fresh earth, they are checking out what potential threat is in the area digging around.
Some things are imprinted within the bees. One, most of the natural enemies, also dig. Skunks, bears, etc. Two, they are usually black or dark colored.
So it is very common to have bees get very irritated when digging in the garden, or plowing the fields. They smell fresh dug earth, and they instinctively think some predator is in the area.
You can be nearby the hive all day long. Bees will ignore you. Take out a shovel and start digging a hole, and you'll see the new interest the bees take in you. And sometimes, they don't just check things out, they think you are the predator. And a sting will be coming soon.
You are exactly correct about them ignoring me until I got to digging the holes for trees and then every tree hole that was dug, they had to check out the dirt on the piles as I planted. Then Monday I was digging a driveway for a building that I have under construction and they would land on me, the tractor and on the dirt as it rolled from the bucket, to check it out. They did not seem agitated. More curious.
Bjorn maybe right makes sense to me. I have a large creek on my property. Bees collect water there all the time. So when I am digging and bees show up I have always assumed it was about water.