Early Spring Mass Suicides?

[Hethen57]

I have been doing this for 8 years now and I was wondering if anyone else in cold climate regions experiences significant "early spring mass suicides"....where bees fly out on a decent day and 50-100 land on the ground and on the hive stand and then just walk around slowly and group together in small clusters.  Then as they day gets colder they start to move really slowly and chill overnight and die.  They look like mostly larger older bees and my speculation is that they either don't have the energy to get back up to the hive because the temps are still in the low 50's range, or they are instinctively culling themselves from the hive because they are too old.  I hate to lose these quantities of bees every time we get a nice day in early spring, but they seem to do it every year and the hives survive just fine.  I've even tried "saving some" by putting them back at the entrance to see what they do, but they seem determined to kill themselves and either stay out on landing board or walk off the edge.

Anyone else observe this phenomena and/or have any why they do it?

[buzzbee]

It is the second. These bees have reached their expire date most likely and were able to remove themselves from the hive rather than be drug out and dropped by other workers.

[Hethen57]

Very interesting!  That is what I suspected, but I haven't ever came across this phenomena in a bee book.  They are amazing creatures for sure.

[Dimmsdale]

Glad you posted this!  I observed the exact same thing the other day and was scratching my head!  Lol

[Carol]

Is it mainly Drones?  I've been finding several every day for awhile now but most are Drones.

[T Beek]

Finding a scattering of bees in the surrounding snow this time of year is a phenomena we witness every Spring as bees are pulled out and/or they cull themselves in anticipation of the coming season.  

Finding 50-100 'winter bees's at a time isn't that much IMO (as long as its not every day), considering 10,000 or more are likely still inside 'waiting' for the weather to improve.  

Use the opportunity to examine the dead ones closely, for hints on how things went over winter....... but your survival rate speaks clearly...Good Job... :)  8-)

Drones?  A little early to see drones up here....unless there's a laying worker/drone layer colony in the mix.