Advice After Moving Hive...

[UtahBees]

Hey everyone.

Life is wonderful! I have two new packages installed in hives and they are happy and healthy.

Last week when I hived them, I had the hives originally on the east side of my home. After two days, I changed the hive to the west side, so as it wasn't so close to the neighbors.

Now I have a ton of bees flying around the west side, although they aren't hurting anything. I didn't place a stick or an object in front of the hives after moving them in order to get them to re-orient themselves. They're just across the yard, and probably not hurting anything. But the smell of the original hive is there, as well as a lot of bees that were dead at installation, or after installation.

----------------------------
-                                    -
-                                    -
- X                               Y -
----------------------------
-             House               -
-                                    -
----------------------------
X = east location
Y - west location

They just fly around at the old east location, but you know humans. I want them to be more productive and forget about the old location. Is that too much to ask!?

Anyone think it might become a bigger problem or do I worry too much?

One last question:

Do bees show exertion through the horizontal pumping of their abdomens? Like if a bee is tired or is it just natural? I've noticed this year while observing my bees that they might look like this:

     O
   xxoxx
      o
With the X's being wings and flapping or staying still, but the small O on the bottom being the bee making a pumping action with its abdomen. In-out-in-out. It's fascinating!

Regards,

Scott

[Michael Bush]

>Do bees show exertion through the horizontal pumping of their abdomens?

That is the bees breathing hard.  That is how they breath.

[UtahBees]

Awesome Michael. I never knew that. Thanks!