This morning I got a call for a swarm that was hanging in a tree for two or three days. We have been getting alot of rain these few days and when I caught the swarm they did not moving very much at all. I thought they were half drowned. I kept them in a cardboard box for an hour in the sun till they started to move around and act like bees a bit more. Thy went in to the nuc real easy but I saw something different. One bee was doing the waggle dance and then another then 4 or 5 doing the dance on the front entry board . What was going on? Were they telling the other bees about the new real estate was or were they just danceing for joy?
John
They are debating how many times they should sting you.:wink:
Actually I would be intrigued by the answer to this.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
I have seen a swarm on the side of a house that was being built. The outside wall was just OSB board at this time. There were several waggle dances going on. I wondered if they were discussing a new home location.
they might have been making fun of the silly ways people build.
Even a swarm has to eat. So it might be they are informing others of a nectar source. It's also possible they are still looking for a home, since the scouts for a swarm do the waggle dance for that also. Normally the waggle is done on drawn comb, but of course, there isn't any yet. I would think they'd do it on the foundation though.