What's going on?

tycrnp · April 01, 2018, 11:49:51 PM

What's going on here? I was sitting in my yard, looked up and saw this. There were bees EVERYWHERE!! Should I be concerned?

https://youtu.be/ctD0sLRJohA

Bush_84 · April 01, 2018, 11:52:41 PM

I assume it?s an orientation flights. I don?t know that I see any fighting. Seems to be a fair amount of circling around.

tycrnp · April 01, 2018, 11:55:07 PM

It has happened twice in the past 2 weeks. I was thinking maybe orientation flight because they just seem to be circling over the hives. I just have never seen sooooo many bees!! Thanks.

BeeMaster2 · April 02, 2018, 05:50:38 AM

What time did this happen? I suspect is was about 5:00 PM or later. That is normal orientation time. If it was during the middle of the day, it might bee that your virgin queen was making her maiden flight. The bees often do that to saturate the air with bees to protect the queen as she leaves the hive.
Jim

Beeboy01 · April 02, 2018, 10:46:22 AM

Saw the same thing yesterday afternoon with the split I did a week ago. The activity was caused by all the young house bees flying on their orientation flights. I use screened bottom boards with trays and pulled the tray looking for excess wax capping buildup which would be a sign of robbing but the tray looked fine with just the normal amount of debris present. Watching the bees is real cool isn't it.

eltalia · April 02, 2018, 04:08:30 PM

Quote from: tycrnp on April 01, 2018, 11:49:51 PM
What's going on here? I was sitting in my yard, looked up and saw this. There were bees EVERYWHERE!! Should I be concerned?

https://youtu be/ctD0sLRJohA

Determine which of those colonys has the most bees coming and
going in short time, there will be the origin of the flyby.
From the first vid frame popping I'd bet it is the stack with
bees launching from the right of the BC outer... that there
looks very much like any Apis flight training class in progress.

Bill

sjh · April 02, 2018, 06:42:20 PM

This happens to my hives on a regular basis generally in the afternoon on fine calm days.
Each hive of my three hives taking turns one after the other.
Just my observation!!! And yes i spend Way Too much time watching my Bees.

Steve.

beepro · April 02, 2018, 09:01:08 PM

All of my hives take their orientation flights around noon time. With that many bees flying in close proximity even I don't know
which bees go in which hives. I'm confused! Glad that they are not.

tycrnp · April 03, 2018, 11:50:07 PM

This episode happened around 3:00 p.m.

Acebird · April 04, 2018, 08:35:00 AM

Quote from: tycrnp on April 03, 2018, 11:50:07 PM
This episode happened around 3:00 p.m.

Was there a sudden drop in temperature, barometric pressure, something that would cause the field force to make a mad dash for home?

tycrnp · April 05, 2018, 10:54:19 PM

Was there a sudden drop in temperature, barometric pressure, something that would cause the field force to make a mad dash for home?
[/quote]

Our weather has been so crazy lately...cold fronts, warm again, rain...but that day I think it was pretty mild, nothing drastic.