Hi,
I checked on my hives in Maine this weekend. Found lots of bees in my hives but very little nectar or honey in the hives. Decided to feed sugar water with top hive feeders. I put on my robbing screens on the hives at this time.
Within hour after feeding, I thought I had a robbing frenzy going on over my hives with thousands of bees flying over the hives, but not robbing. Hour later I checked and found bees clustered on the side of a hive at the feeder by the outer cover. I had the inner cover blocked off by the outer cover. They were clustered on the side of one of the hives. There was like a 2 lb cluster just standing there. I thought the new feeder had a leak on the side. I left them there and kept checking on the hive, they clustered there.
I rechecked them at daybreak the next day. They were still there. I took a spatula and scooped them into a bucket, then later threw into a nuc box.
Two hours later just before I left Maine I seen almost the same thing where thousands of bees flying overhead but no apparent robbing or fighting going on.
I am confused on what I am witnessing. It was not hot or humid, low 70's . Thoughts?
Four hives all queenright and healthy, just low on reserves.
Thanks
tazz