Bee Behavior

[rail]

1) Foragers (some) returning to hive and setting in grass around and under hive with pollen?

2) Bees leaving hive entrance landing in grass, setting in the sunshine, then returning to hive?

3) Bees grooming each other outside hive?

4) Does cooler temps and windy conditions affect bees ability in foraging?

We have had two weeks of rain, temps in the low 50's the past two mornings and windy conditions. Hive is extremely active today and bringing copious amounts of pollen!

[yockey5]

Sounds like a healthy hive battling the elements.

[BlueBee]

Yeah, I see this all the time in the fall.  The bees expend a lot of energy to fly and when it's cold, that energy gets sucked from their bodies and they don't always make it back to the hive.  If they land in the sun, the sunshine can warm their bodies back up enough for them to make another flight attempt.  They don't always make it though.  I figure many of these bees are also near the end of their life at this point of the season.

[jtow]

Something I noticed this weekend were several dozen dead bees under two of my three hive in a cluster. Wondering if they were old foragers that were clinging to the bottom of the screened bottom and when night temps dropped into the 40's cold got them?

[derekm]

the weather here has been wierd ... 27C . So the bees have been acting as though its August. The monthly average is 8C up on usual so far...
The mornings have been cool 4C but the bees flying in to blue sky. They are going as though there is a flow on and we are getting reports of swarms. Did I read the calendar wrong?