About 3:30 this afternoon the kids and I were out working in the garden, I went to dump some weeds in the compost and happened to glance at my son's new hives and there were over a hundred bees swirling up and around one of the hives. After last years' experiences, I panicked and thought they were swarming but noticed about as many going in as were coming out and realized it was orientation time.
I called the kids over and we stood in awe watching the girls flying out, around, and back in, en mass for about fifteen minutes. An amazing sight, we were fortunate!
J-
It is very interesting and exciting to watch. If we have had a few days of bad weather and the bees have been held in the hive the orientation flights seem really heavy.
Good luck and have fun watching the new flyers!
Most hives have a short period of time when they go into a hyper active mode each day which can almost mimic a swarm. It happens often. Someone once mentioned a fancy term for this activity by I forgot what it is called.
I have often wondered if they are practicing a drill (swarming routine), or even if the bees are signaling in a queen on her mating flight. Maybe a start to a swarm and the failure of the queen to take flight? Many possibilities.
There is also a period of time when all the drones come back, usually at the same time each day.
This past weekend I have the same type thing happen. Two of my four hives werer talking first flights. Very cool the actually understand what you are seeing.
Off topic but today I watch two workers work as a team and carry off a dead drone. The both pulled him out of the hive and in sync took flight, each holding one end and fly off about 50 feet and drop him. Totally cool.