Cleansing walk

[Drone]

Hey there, and Happy New Year to all!

The weather here in North Carolina has warmed up a bit after a cold snap. I saw a lot of bees flying yesterday, but I also saw lots of bees walking around in front of one of my two hives. The second hive appeared normal with bees in the air instead of on the ground.

There was also a lot of "bee poop" on the ground, so I assume the bees were cleansing as they were wandering around. I actually witnessed a few bees relieving themselves while walking. I did not see any spotting on the hive itself.

So, my question is - why the walking instead of flying? Could this be a sign of tracheal mites? Are there other conditions that prevent bees from flying? I did not see any damaged wings on the walkers.

Assuming that I may have a TM issue, I added a menthol/oil paper towel as outlined in the Beekeeping for Dummies book. But, I am pretty new at this and would love to hear opinions from "the collective".

Thanks,

-John

[Brian D. Bray]

I wouldn't worry.  The bees walking around could be old bees too far past their prime to fly or young bees that haven't had an opportunity to fly yet.  And then, think about how you move when you're constipated.

[Michael Bush]

>why the walking instead of flying?

Could just be a cold day and flying is difficult.