I am new this year to beekeeping. As I strolled by my hives this evening I noticed a sight that I am concerned about. There was a very large presence of bees outside. Most of the bees just move up and down up and down and there others are locked together like they are measuring. Could someone please help me identify what's going on. Do I need to split this hive or is something else going on.
It's just washboarding. They aren't needed inside for HVAC, so they're hanging out on the stoop, twiddling their thumbs. :wink:
Thank you. I was hoping that was the case but wasn't sure.
What you are describing is wash boarding and grooming. I believe the wash boarding is the bees cleaning their hive area.
Jim