bees tails up and constant buzzing?

newbee07 · July 15, 2007, 06:45:29 PM

What does this mean, i had heard that it means the queen has changed positions . Is this true or does it mean something else?

Moonshae · July 15, 2007, 08:42:25 PM

If they're on the landing board, they're fanning to cool the hive.

newbee07 · July 15, 2007, 11:58:57 PM

Do they fan to cool even when your in the hive inspecting it. It seems they gather aroung on the sides and landing board with tails up and go at it buzzing.

Mici · July 16, 2007, 04:19:16 AM

yes they do that. they actually fan against me, the whole hive is just blowing at me.

Misko · July 16, 2007, 05:49:04 AM

@mici that's becace they now that you warm and they want tou cool you down :-D

They are fanning to cool the hive and when they are making air tunels to dry the honey!

Sean Kelly · July 16, 2007, 07:34:27 AM

They also could be releasing pheremones. Are they pretty calm when you see this happen?

Sean Kelly

Mici · July 16, 2007, 07:54:34 AM

sean kelly, there must be something to it.
from what i've seen there are ermmm around 3 different ways of bee ventilation.

a) tha butt and the whole body is pressed down and she ventilates
b) the butt is somehow horizontali
c) the butt looks like as if it was opened or...broken.

a) is usually at the entrance, they're just ventilationg HARD
b) is when i open them up and they're just giving me a bee-breeze :-D

and c...when a swarm settles in or when the queen goes on her mating flight.
now..i know there's a glanse at their butts but it's apparently not working all the time. i guess they curve their butt a bit to expose the glanse so the pheromones are emmited.

Scadsobees · July 16, 2007, 08:44:07 AM

When I disturb them without smoke, very often they will do just as you describe. I'll get an alarm pheremone smell, and if I look very closely, often they will have their stinger sticking out.

Tails up, stinger out, fanning and buzzing, trying to be as big and scary as possible.

Rick

KONASDAD · July 16, 2007, 10:41:32 AM

When there tail is split, I always thought they were scenting in some way. Providing a scent trail for others to keep the whereabouts of the hive known should it be tore down or broken. Just what I always thought.

Cindi · July 16, 2007, 11:11:14 AM

Konasdad. I think you hit the nail right on the head. The Nasanov gland is exposed (under the abdomen) when the bee lifts its rear end. One of the key uses of exposing this gland and fanning is for orienting bees to their home. Very interesting what the bees do and how they do it. Have a wonderful day, great life. Cindi

BBHJ · July 18, 2007, 07:29:54 AM

I see my bees do this about every time that I inspect my hives. Its always after I've been in the hive for a while & I'm almost done with the inspection. Ive never looked to see if their stinger is out or any of that stuff. I've also always wondered why they were doing it.

Cindi · July 18, 2007, 10:38:46 AM

When the colony is disturbed they seem to really fan like crazy, I always see this too. Bees love to fan!!! :) Have a wonderful day. Cindi

Michael Bush · July 21, 2007, 10:12:40 AM

>When the colony is disturbed they seem to really fan like crazy

And that's nasanov so that any lost bees can get reoriented and find the colony.

Cindi · July 21, 2007, 12:09:22 PM

Michael, I have also seen this gland referred to as the Nasonoff (Nasonov) gland. Do you have any clue why the different spelling, I never could quite understand it? Have a wonderful day, great life. Cindi

Michael Bush · July 21, 2007, 07:24:23 PM

Probably because we can't spell. :)

Brian D. Bray · July 21, 2007, 11:16:56 PM

MB has it right, the bees fan the nasanov to orientate the nurse bees who have never been outside of the hive so that can get back to the right hive. When working the bee yard you can look back at all the hives yolu've inspect, the cloud of bees in the air resembling a swarm, and the bees on the landing boards, butts to the sky, telling all the young bees that went airborne during the inspections to come home.

However, I messed with their minds today. I went into three hives, taking 2 frames from each hive, and made 2 splits using some SMR Russian Queens from Wilderness Apiaries. That puts bees and brood from 2 different hives in the same box. On the 4th hive I changed it from a 2 story nuck box to a 2 story 8 frame medium. The air looked like a real swarm. I now have 6 hives counting the 2 new nucs.

Bennettoid · July 21, 2007, 11:40:51 PM

I was refilling a feeder today when a girl landed on my leg, I watched her and first she stuck out her stinger, then she sucked that in and streched out and split her rear end, then she flew back to the landing board.

Immediately I thought of this thread.

This Forum is the Bee's Knees.