Why Do Bees fly away with larvae?

blanc · April 29, 2012, 11:14:28 PM

Was watching the bees today form a cutout and noticed them cleaning out hives but noticed a couple flying away with larvae. Was surprised that they could carry the weight. Any explanations? Thx for any replies!

LoriMNnice · April 29, 2012, 11:41:52 PM

Maybe they are super clean freaks and are cleaning house and taking them far away instead of dumping them close to the hive :)

AndrewT · April 30, 2012, 11:16:50 AM

Any time you get into a colony and mess things up, the bees will get right to work setting things straight. If there are any damaged cells with larvae, they will dig out the larvae and drag them to the entrance and fly off with them. Taking them out aways from the hive probably helps to lessen disease, and keeps scavengers from honing in on a pile of stuff right by the hive entrance.

One day, while I was getting into my hives, I noticed that there had been several asian lady beetles under the lip of the hive lid, and they had fallen into the hive. After, I was watching the entrance and I saw a bee come out with one of those lady bugs. She carried it out a short ways and I saw her either drop it or let it go (I may or may not have heard a tiny voice saying "AND STAY OUT!")

Robo · April 30, 2012, 01:06:32 PM

Quote from: AndrewT on April 30, 2012, 11:16:50 AM
helps to lessen disease, and keeps scavengers from honing in on a pile of stuff right by the hive entrance.

exactly why they cart debris away from the hive.

RandyMM · April 30, 2012, 03:19:17 PM

Sounds like the bees in that hive are good housekeepers! That definitely plays an important role in the overall health of the colony.

yockey5 · April 30, 2012, 03:21:23 PM

May be chilled brood being carried out.

blanc · April 30, 2012, 11:09:42 PM

Thanks for the replies and make sense to get all debris away from the hive.

EaglePestEliminators · April 12, 2017, 01:35:33 PM

Just researched for a while and may be they don't carry weight otherwise they have alligator-like larvae. What do you think?

BertieKerter1 · May 22, 2017, 01:14:03 AM

I have no idea of it.

beecanbee · May 22, 2017, 06:47:36 AM

Predators and ants, IMO... no need to attract attention of predators with odors adjacent to the hive opening, nor help build up an ant trail into the hive.

BeeMaster2 · June 06, 2017, 12:39:06 PM

I have stood behind my hives and watched a bee carry a just hatched drone out of the hive about 25', make a 90 degree turn and fly another 50' and drop it in the far end of my pool. I went over and picked it up and the drone had a slightly deformed wing. This is very noticeable because the drones are fighting all the way to the front edge of the hive and the bees wings make a lot of noise due to the excessive weight on them. Drones weigh a lot more than the bees do.
Before I saw this I always thought the bees in the pool had fallen in by accident. With 12 hives, we get a lot of bees in the pool.
Jim