Wind speed VS bee speed

[Jerrymac]

So here are the wind speeds today
Time posted          Sustained(MPH)          Gust(MPH)
6:53                     21                             31
7:53                     22                             32
8:53                     29                             40
9:53                     28                             36

These winds are coming right out of the South.

Here is the story.
As there isn't any kind of nectar flow I set up a feeding station about 100 yards due North of the bee hives. And yep the bees are flying in this wind. They come from the hive traveling North at bee speed plus wind speed. Soooo... they zip past the feeding station and have to fight their way back to it. It is located behind some stuff to block the wind. After tanking up, they shoot out from behind the wind break and get puffed to the North where they then start the struggle to get back to the hive.  As the wind gust and drops you see the bees progressing along then stop and dance around in mid-air, might even loose ground a bit, and then go forward again. But they do fly in winds above 25mph.

[johnwm73]

Mine are doing the same thing. I noticed the path that mine travel is normally South. But with it windy the path has widen because they are getting blown around. Used to they only made a path about 5 to 10 feet across to travel out of the hive and away from my house. But is the wind they take up around 30 feet because of blowing them around and they try to straighten back up so they make a bunch of S-shapes getting going. I try not to laugh but it looks like a bunch of drunk bees. :lol:

[Michael Bush]

I've noticed mine seem to find a different path coming and going to work with the currents.