Bees are flying all over the yard

lefluers · October 05, 2009, 03:26:10 PM

I have kept bees for years, as a hobbyist. I have one bee hive that I have been nursing along, trying to help it build up stores for the winter. yesterday I took a new jar of syrup and gave it to them to enjoy. Ever since then bees have been all over the yard. I have suspicion that another hive is trying to rob this hive. I have reduced the entrance to a half inch, and the syrup is on top inside an empty brood chamber.
My children are not wanting to go in the yard. I have never had this happen before.

What do I do?

MustbeeNuts · October 05, 2009, 04:22:10 PM

Keep the kids in the house. LOL ,, they are just looking for food. since you fed them they probably think there is food out there to find. My bees are all over the yard as well, and at the doors and windows, they can smell the supers that I have in the house. I really need a honey house. But I started to feed mine as well and then they all came around the house. In reality they were here before, but just not as bad.

lefluers · October 05, 2009, 04:24:32 PM

thanks. I have kept bees for a lot of years just never experienced this phenomina.

Tucker1 · October 05, 2009, 07:13:14 PM

It was interesting to read your post. I fed my girls on Friday and this afternoon I found a large group of bees flying around in front of the hive. Like your girls. In this case, there isn't another hive in the same general area, so I guessed that they were just all worked up trying to find nectar. I had also placed a super of decapped/extracted frames on that hive on Friday, in an effort to build them up for the winter. When I checked that super this afternoon, they were attacking it. Its been in the low 40's at night and 58-63 in the afternoon. From a numbers and foof stock perspective, this hive looks pretty strong. I just need to keep feeding them.

Regards,
Tucker1

beryfarmer · October 05, 2009, 09:36:13 PM

I have had the same issue a few weeks back. Knew it wasnt robbing since no dead bees out the front door. It is really amazing to see. It seems every time i feed them they are more active outside. Still nice here -- 70ish and sunny but getting cold at night. Trying to get them to build a little foundation on some supers i put on. but i think have to stop feeding after this last quart.

lefluers · October 10, 2009, 08:55:15 PM

thanks everyone for easing my nervousness, that something was wrong. The syrup is all gone now and so the bees have stopped roaming all over the yard.

Michael Bush · October 10, 2009, 10:16:51 PM

I went out yesterday to feed my last outyard (dry sugar) and get things finalized for winter. I've never seen that yard so active. Bees everywhere. Nothing blooming anywhere. Snow storm last night. Maybe they knew it was coming.

gottabee · October 11, 2009, 07:35:26 AM

Thursday I fed the gals heavily - several yard feeders. They were all excited as you described. Ive seen it often they fly a lot, they are everywhere, and they frequently investigate you and everything else.
Friday I was within about 15 yards of the hives hooking up a trailer. Nothing new or unusual here but I got stung several times. That is very unusual and they were going for my eyes very agressively.
Probably just defending their feeders I would guess.
The swelling has gone down almost back to normal now. Anyway - that'll teach me to let my guard down.