Hive move

[dlmarti]

About two weeks ago we had a warm spell, as it turned colder, and my girls headed back in, I decided to move the hive.

I moved the hive about 20 feet.
For two weeks they have been trapped in the hive, avoiding the cold, until today.

Today it warmed up, and don't you know they all came out to play.  When they returned from their pollen gathering, they all went back to the old spot.

They hung in a cloud about two feet off the ground, at the old location.

Eventually a group of them found the new location, and clustered at the front fanning into the air.  Then the cloud of lost bees started oscillating between the old and new location.  It was quite enlightening to watch the entire process, very cool.

I still am amazed that after two weeks, they were still programmed for the old location.

[Jerrymac]

I have learned that bees will do what they are not suppose to do.  I have heard that after being cooped up for more than 72 hour the reorient.  But I have seen that same parade of events doing cut outs. They will go back and forth from the old location to the new hive and finally settle in the new hive.

[JP]

They hadn't had a chance to do the dance, where they put their little butts in the air, like nobody cares. Until they do that, well, they have quite the memory, don't they.


...JP

[dlmarti]

The other thing I found odd, was how loud the bees were at the new hive.
They were making noise for the sake of it.

I wonder if that is another method of them attracting the gathers that were lost.

By the end of the day they were all going back to the new location, but this is the weird part.  They would leave the new location (to do their gathering), then travel to the old location, turn and go to the new location.  It like they new how to get back, but only via the new route they learned.

Bees are so cool

[JP]

The other thing I found odd, was how loud the bees were at the new hive.
They were making noise for the sake of it.

I wonder if that is another method of them attracting the gathers that were lost.

By the end of the day they were all going back to the new location, but this is the weird part.  They would leave the new location (to do their gathering), then travel to the old location, turn and go to the new location.  It like they new how to get back, but only via the new route they learned.

Bees are so cool

That is cool that you were able to witness these things, yes bees are cool.

...JP