This Isn't Swarming, Is It??

[The15thMember]

So I was outside after lunch today, and I went and checked on the hives at about 2:30.  It was drizzling (it's been raining on and off here for the past few days) and everything seemed normal, girls coming and going, some with pollen pants.  Then at about 4:00 the rain had stopped, and I went to get something in the garage and noticed a large amount of bees flying around the hive.  I went over to investigate, and both hives seemed abnormally active, the one particularly so.  There was a huge amount of traffic coming and going, a large crowd on the landing board, and a cloud of bees sort of just hovering in front of the hive.  At first I thought it was orienting bees, but not many of them were circling, they were mostly just hovering around.  There were no bees fighting or acting aggressive, so I don't think it was robbing.  What made me nervous was they seemed to sort of walk up the front of the hive before taking flight, which I've read is a thing swarming bees do.  I stood and watched them for about 30 minutes, and they seemed to settle down.  It's almost 5:00 as I'm typing this and they seem mostly normal now.  I'm a total and complete newbee, and the bees were packages installed last month.  I inspected the hives last week and saw no swarming signs to my knowledge (which is limited), no queen cells, new comb, and I added another box, so they have plenty of space.  I've attached a picture of what they were doing, and also a picture of what the hive looks like now.  What do you think is going on here?

[gww]

Look at you tube videos of hives swarming.  I know when I was standing there and one of my hives swarmed, I had bees comming out of exits in the hive I did not even know exsisted.  They just pour out.
Cheers
gww

[NasalSponge]

Orientation flights. In my apiary it starts around 2:00 PM. Bees figuring out their address before they fly off for the first time.

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[LizzieBee]

I love the designs on your hive boxes! Mine are just white. Also, my bees did something like that the other day. They?re normal now.

LizzieBee

[The15thMember]

Look at you tube videos of hives swarming.  I know when I was standing there and one of my hives swarmed, I had bees comming out of exits in the hive I did not even know exsisted.  They just pour out.
Cheers
gww

I'll go an do that, gww.  Thanks.

Orientation flights. In my apiary it starts around 2:00 PM. Bees figuring out their address before they fly off for the first time.

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Oh good, thanks so much. 

I just didn't really know what to think.  The thing that made me unsure whether it was orientation flights was that they didn't seem to act the same as the package did when they were all orienting.  But I guess the package was far more disorganized than these new bees. 

I love the designs on your hive boxes! Mine are just white. Also, my bees did something like that the other day. They?re normal now.

LizzieBee

Thanks so much, Lizzie.  My sister is an artist and she paints all the boxes for me.  I'll be sure to tell her that you like them. 

[cao]

If you installed new packages about a month ago then it sounds to me that the first of the brood is starting to hatch.  Hence the orientation flights.

[The15thMember]

So out of curiosity, do the newly hatched bees orient soon after they emerge, or do they orient once they become guards or foragers? 

[NasalSponge]

So out of curiosity, do the newly hatched bees orient soon after they emerge, or do they orient once they become guards or foragers?

Normally the latter.

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[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Member, as Lizziebee stated beauty,  I also love the painting on you hives.  Just beautiful and blends in with the natural foliage.  My hives are plain, painted different single colors except for entrance.

You have talent, Member, thanks for sharing your hive painting.  Impressive.

BTW, that does not look like swarming to me.
Blessings

[BeeMaster2]

Member,
Your bees orient normally at just under 3 weeks after hatching. The first evening they go out just a little from the hive, looking towards the hive and flying small circles at first and returning and then making larger and larger circles and returning in order to memorize the entrance. They may do this for a couple of evenings before they are actually leaving to collect food.
Jim

[bwallace23350]

Beautiful hive bodies!

[The15thMember]

Member,
Your bees orient normally at just under 3 weeks after hatching. The first evening they go out just a little from the hive, looking towards the hive and flying small circles at first and returning and then making larger and larger circles and returning in order to memorize the entrance. They may do this for a couple of evenings before they are actually leaving to collect food.
Jim

Thanks for the info, Jim.  They've been doing exactly what you described the past couple evenings.  I also did an inspection today and saw a lot of empty brood comb, so the next generation is definitely hatching out great.  Saw my queen too, filling in all the newly available cells!    

Beautiful hive bodies!

Member, as Lizziebee stated beauty,  I also love the painting on you hives.  Just beautiful and blends in with the natural foliage.  My hives are plain, painted different single colors except for entrance.

You have talent, Member, thanks for sharing your hive painting.  Impressive.

BTW, that does not look like swarming to me.
Blessings

Thanks so much for all the compliments!  As I told Lizzie, it's my sister who has all the talent.  All I did was paint the white base coat on some.    She's the artist in the family.  She wasn't planning on being a beekeeper, but she's been helping me out at the hives when I do inspections, and she's really enjoying it as well.