Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: charles on May 19, 2009, 05:18:06 pm

Title: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: charles on May 19, 2009, 05:18:06 pm: Got a low pressure system sitting over our area that should stay for most of the week. What do bees do with themselves when you've got about a solid week of rain and some wind? I figured they'd just sit in there and eat. Maybe the queen would get some laying on.

Anybody know for sure?
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: Natalie on May 19, 2009, 05:21:53 pm: I think they play scrabble. :-D
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: crowhammer on May 19, 2009, 06:06:31 pm: A few of mine seem to fly between the bouts of more inclement weather. This rain really slows them down though, doesn't it.
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: Bee Happy on May 19, 2009, 06:18:24 pm: If I had an observation hive. (maybe next year) I might be able to tell you for sure.
I saw mine crowded near the entrance like a bunch of kids dying for it to quit so they could go out and play :oops:
-like before video games...
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: John Schwartz on May 19, 2009, 06:20:33 pm: I spent a year watching my bees in my top-bar observation hive. On cold days (about 90% of the time here in the Northwest), they just bunch up into a cluster and stay warm. A few will move about to feed/take cleansing flights.
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: rast on May 19, 2009, 06:29:01 pm: I checked the ones here at the house after it let up a little yesterday evening. I saw several making quick short flights, probably cleansing. One empty feeder bucket blown off, put it back and and a brick on it.
Looked at another, they were playing poker, not scrabble :-D.
They all said, thank the Lord for the rain, now maybe something will bloom.
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: asprince on May 19, 2009, 07:11:48 pm: If it is cool and or raining and they are crowded and packed in the hive, they will build queen cells and swarm when the weather clears. I saw that a lot this spring.

Steve
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: Natalie on May 19, 2009, 09:09:32 pm: I inspected my hives a few (nucs installed 5 weeks ago) days ago, maybe 5 and then we had rain off and on all week, just real gloomy and wet.
I peeked in today to check on their syrup levels and they had built a few more combs (on foundationless frames) since the other day.
It appears mine just took syrup and built combs.
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: BeeHopper on May 19, 2009, 09:24:08 pm: Quote from: Natalie on May 19, 2009, 05:21:53 pm
I think they play scrabble. :-D

I laughed !!! now I have to clean the ginger ale off my keyboard. :oops:
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: Rodni73 on May 20, 2009, 12:57:32 pm: On rainy days my "wise Ladies" bees cluster in the top "Bronx" deep and hold a conference between the 5 families on how to rob, extort and wack the adjacent hive :mrgreen:! lol

-Rodni
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: Keith13 on May 20, 2009, 06:55:03 pm: Quote from: Rodni73 on May 20, 2009, 12:57:32 pm
On rainy days my "wise Ladies" bees cluster in the top "Bronx" deep and hold a conference between the 5 families on how to rob, extort and wack the adjacent hive :mrgreen:! lol

-Rodni

So you have italians from sicily or palermo to be exact? :-D

Keith
Title: Re: what do bees do in rainy weather?
Post by: rickomatic on May 20, 2009, 07:28:02 pm: Quote
So you have italians from sicily or palermo to be exact?

My Italians trade pollen spaghetti recipes and make honey gelato.