What are they up to now?

ITCHI · June 20, 2009, 01:49:48 AM

Can someone tell me what the girls are doing in this video?
Hottest day of the season yet, 95 degrees, late afternoon and sun has gone below the tree line so hive is shaded but hot, no recent rain and in the north GA mountains.
It looks like they are maybe cleaning something off the front deck but I can figure what it might be.

sc-bee · June 20, 2009, 05:11:24 AM

The behavior is called scrubbing by what you are describeing. I do not see it often on my hive but I noticed a fellow beekeeper friend has them doing it on theirs. Its like they are trying to wash down the wooden ware or scrub it as they rock back and forth.

I have notice their equipment is painted with gloss latex and mine with flat. I wonder if this makes the major difference in the scrubbing activity

JP · June 20, 2009, 07:53:21 AM

As Steve pointed out its called scrubbing or more commonly washboarding. I can tell you it does not matter if the surface is painted or bare, all bees seem to do this at some time or another. Recently, this topic was discussed and one explanation said molecules are moved at the entrance, perhaps affecting airflow in the hive, some say its a cleaning thing, I don't know if the real answer is clear though.

...JP

sc-bee · June 20, 2009, 11:54:25 AM

>As Steve pointed out its called scrubbing or more commonly washboarding.

;) (washboarding)

Brian D. Bray · June 20, 2009, 11:30:26 PM

In scrubbing (aka washboardingt) the bees are overlaying the surface with a thin layer of propolis. Whether the entrance is painted or natural wood the bees will still do this to provide proper "traction" for the bees landing and taking flight. Think of it as resurfacing.

sc-bee · June 21, 2009, 01:43:39 AM

>Whether the entrance is painted or natural wood the bees will still do this to provide proper "traction" for the bees landing and taking flight. Think of it as resurfacing.

Sounds like the best reason I've heard so far ;)

ITCHI · June 21, 2009, 03:29:03 AM

Thanks for that tid bit of info folks, I have since found other video's of the same type of action.
I have also read elsewhere it might have something to do with the flow coming to an end, any validity to this in ya'lls opinion?