bees come out on warmer days

[bwallace23350]

Is this normal in the deep south for bees to come out on warm days during the winter? Also I am gonig to start feeding next week

[Aroc]

I don't know about the deep South, but up here in the deep north, my bees come out even at below freezing.

[GSF]

Hey BW, if you're talking about yesterday, definitely yes. Mine were all over the place.

[bwallace23350]

Yeah just anyday in the 60's or 70's I have seen some activity. Not all over the place but some activity. Yesterday I was only around them at 9:30 in the morning.

[Barhopper]

Here in the real Deep South they fly everyday. Hauling pollen to beat the band.

[herbhome]

Anytime above 55, they will come out, even if its just a potty break.

[BeeMaster2]

Here in NE FL, they were out in force yesterday collecting nectar and pollen. Maple is coming into bloom and they are working it like crazy. I had 3 hives that I had not had a chance to reduce down and the bees were so busy the didn't pay any attention to me or try to rob the open hives.
Jim

[Michael Bush]

>Is this normal in the deep south for bees to come out on warm days during the winter?

It's normal in the far frozen north...

[Beeboy01]

Still warm here in NE Florida and the hives have been bringing in pollen. The maples have last year's leaves on and haven't started to bloom yet in my area. Just started to feed the hives for spring build up which might come early. It's been a strange winter so far with temperatures well above normal and just a little rain.
   It's normal for bees to fly when the temperature gets above 50 degrees or so along with some dead bees in the snow.

[stanisr]

I have found that each hive has it's own personality and flies at different temps. I've had hives that would come out at temps below 50 deg. and hives that required temps to be well above 50. So my response to the question is yes, bees will fly whenever the temps and their mood is ready.

[D Coates]

I have found that each hive has it's own personality and flies at different temps.

Fully agreed.  I thought I had a dead out nuc (5x5) last year as it was not flying though all the others were as it was a nice warm spell (20+hives and nucs).  I roughly handled the hive, preparing to split it open to allow the other hives to rob it out.  I popped the top and there they were looking at me.  A big ole' cluster, how/why they didn't light me up I've got no idea.  I gently put the lid back on and put the hive back.  I figured they'd not make it as they were acting substantially different from the other hives so I kept an eye on them.  I was dead wrong and they wintered just fine.

[BeeMaster2]

A newby beek friend of mine that I mentor, had a hive that he thought was dead last winter. He opened the top, looked down through the frames and didn't see any bees. He put the hive on a wagon and put it in his garage. Come early spring, his garage was full of bees coming out of this hive. Surprise, surprise.

[bwallace23350]

How did he not see any bees? Were they all recent hatches?

[BeeMaster2]

How did he not see any bees? Were they all recent hatches?

It was either a 2 or 3 medium frame hive and he did not take it apart. Just a new bee mistake.
Jim

[splitrock]

Mine were flying some yesterday at 37 degrees.

[little john]

Haven't seen a bee flying for a few weeks now, as it's been so bl##dy cold.  But - an Atlantic storm is on it's way, bringing warm air up from the equator, and 13 deg C (55-56 deg F) is forecast for Christmas Day.  Only that one day though, then it's back to brass monkey weather. 
But - might be a good flying day if the rain holds off and the wind's not too strong.
LJ