Author Topic: odd behaviour (Read 3755 times)

drobbins · « **on:** June 15, 2005, 09:45:20 pm »

Hello All

a while back JP posted about bee's just hanging out on the landing board
I see similar behaviour
somebody suggested noseama, but I have new equipment and I think the staining would be obvious and there is none.
somebody else said maybe tracheal mites, but I've been giving them wintergreen oil which is supposed to help with that
they seem very healthy
there's lots of normal activity
they're more than willing to get off there bee butt's and come sting me :roll:
I'm inclined to think it's not a problem, it just doesn't look like what I hear described as normal.
this was late in the evening, just before sunset, I had to use a flash
and it was > 90 F today
do you think this is something to worry about??
this is the most extreme case I have seen.

oh yea, here's a pic

Dave

Finsky · « **Reply #1 on:** June 15, 2005, 09:57:22 pm »

I guess that this is going. Individual bee's position is that way:

Those bees are outside drying upp nectar. They stand and keep droplet between hey jaw. They keep up certain kind of movement.

I means that it is a good honey day and they have hot inside.
It means also that hive is a little bit tight or ventilation is not enough.

The volume of out hanging is small here in your pic. There is nothing to be worried. Out temperature is the same as inside broodbox. They ventilate and they have to keep cool they inner hive with moist nectar and water.

drobbins · « **Reply #2 on:** June 15, 2005, 10:05:57 pm »

Thanks Finsky,

they seem very healthy
they started from a package ~ 6 weeks ago
they've filled 2 deeps and I've given them 2 mediums
I'm just inexperienced and it doesn't look like what I expect
nice to have people who have experience around to give advice

Dave

thegolfpsycho · « **Reply #3 on:** June 15, 2005, 10:08:24 pm »

Looks like normal behaviour for a hot day. THe honey they store retains heat well into the night, We get very hot days with very low humidity here. Even with SBB and offset supers, I get much greater numbers of bees hanging outside the hive.

beefree · « **Reply #4 on:** June 15, 2005, 10:17:48 pm »

I have one wood hive and one styro hive in my yard. my wood hive has been doing this, too. the styro has not. the wood hive keeps the left side of the entry jammed up starting in early evening, and they are there in the morning when i get up. i do NOT know if they are out there all night, because i am too lazy to get up and check. Another beekeeping friend suggested that they might be attempting to protect the hive from nocturnal animal raids. Considering the humidity and heat we've had lately, i think they might be hot and bothered and a bit overcrowded. So i gave them another super right in the center of the 4 they already had (the hive is made up of a messy variety of mediums and shallows because i can't lift full deeps). this reduced the number of bees on the board but by no means stopped the behavior. i don't know if it is normal or not, because this is the first year my hives have been close enough to observe early in the morning and late in the evening (ie at home instead of miles away). Since this hive is apparently otherwise healthy, and also has WAAAAY more bees and brood in it than the other three hives i am taking care of, i will consider it normal until you all tell me it's not...
beefree

beefree · « **Reply #5 on:** June 15, 2005, 10:23:46 pm »

post script to above... okay i went out at 9:30 tonight IN THE RAIN and they are still gathered in a little clump on the left side of the entrance. So this is weird.

Beefree

drobbins · « **Reply #6 on:** June 15, 2005, 10:32:03 pm »

ok, you guy's make me feel like everything is fine
it just didn't fit any description of behaviour I had heard
I'm in North Carolina, we invented "hot and humid" :lol:
I guess I'll just take a hint from the bee's and go sit on the porch

Dave

Finsky · « **Reply #7 on:** June 15, 2005, 11:53:00 pm »

If they are hanging outside, hive is too small to colony. It makes no good for their mood to work.

You should put more room for bees. You can put extra box with foundations lowest.

Middle entrances helps ventilation and cooling the hive. I have in every box finger size entrance. Usually I use every two, but on rapefield I open them all.

It is hard work for bees to ventilate whole tower through bottom entrance.
Hot air rises upp and they try to move it downwards.

If you use middle entrances, bees get fresh air from bottom and they run moist hive air out from upper hoes. Finland is cool country, but I have noticed this good when tempereture is over 70F.

When you measure the inner temperature of hive, it is 90F. Ouside is same figure and sun shines to the wooden wall. Work and brood makes heat and you know that bees get cooler evaporating water and moist honey.

When bees get a lot moist nectar, they do not need extra water.
http://www.beecool.com/tech.htm
.

JP · « **Reply #8 on:** June 16, 2005, 08:29:38 am »

Your pics depict normality, from what I've gathered. My hive #2 has these extra numbers on the porch, as well. They seem very normal in daylight & tend to their duties very well. I am not worried & I don't think you should be either.

Finsky · « **Reply #9 on:** June 16, 2005, 08:41:53 am »

Quote from: JP

Your pics depict normality, from what I've gathered. My hive #2 has these extra numbers on the porch, as well. They seem very normal in daylight & tend to their duties very well. I am not worried & I don't think you should be either.

Yes but, hive developes every day and honey is coming in. It is a sign that hive is becoming full.

It is no use to be worried, just look inside, then you know what is situation. Beekeeping is not remote nursing. Only look in site is the point. But what to look, that is remote :roll:

When I see by bees outside that way, I do something.

fuzzybeekeeper · « **Reply #10 on:** June 16, 2005, 02:29:27 pm »

Actually, the best site to look at the BeeCool is:

http://www.beecool.com/

or

http://www.nutriteam.com//BeeCool_Hive_Ventilators-p-1-c-257.html

Don't be confused by a Grapefruit Extract page. NutriTeam is the company that sells the BeeCool for the inventor. You really have to look hard to find the BeeCool link since it is only a small part of the NutriTeam product line.

Thanks for the link, Finsky, but it kinda gets you in the back door and some of the links listed there don't work. I called the company and mentioned it to them.

I am a computer tech at a high school and thought about a solar panel for some of the discarded computer fans we have but didn't pursue it very far. As usual, someone beat me to it.

Fuzzybeekeeper