Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: lilprincess on June 18, 2017, 05:46:05 pm
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The bees have been outside a lot lately. Just all over the outside of the box. The hive isn't all the way filled yet, but I put a new deep box on the top because it looks like they might swarm.
I thought there was a picture on my phone, but it basically looks like this image, Just more concentrated on one side (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170618/1a576bf29ab031a9fcad1f186b1565c7.jpg)
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The hive is heting up, I suspect. Put a wedge under the telescoping cover to all ventilation.
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It was actually cold and rainy when I saw them.
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I've seen that on 1 of my hives as well. It is only in the evening and at night though. There's lots of space inside. Is this something I should be worried about?
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It is called "washboarding." I believe the bees are cleaning the exterior of the hive around the entrance and perhaps applying a pheromone. If you look close you will see them nibbling the surface with their mandibles and stroking the surface with their antenna. I only see my bees doing this when the nectar flow is tapering off or at an end. It has nothing to do with the number of bees in the hive or temperature control.
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When hives begin to overheat, large numbers of bees take to the outside of the box in order to get away from the combs (and thus improve ventilation), and cluster around the entrance and face of the hive. The key word being 'cluster'.
But here, the bees are NOT clustered, but are spread out as wide apart as possible across the face of the hive. I've seen this many times, usually associated with an absent queen: either when a virgin is out on her mating flight, or when the colony had lost their queen a day or two before.
I've always interpreted this behaviour as the bees sending out the widest possible stream of pheromone as a 'homing signal' to assist their queen to return home safely. Although it may well be seen at other times.
I watched one colony in particular (which I'd made queenless, prior to re-queening) set up this display (which I call a 'pheromone curtain') from dawn to dusk, every day for a week. Behaviour which I found quite pathetic. (in the sense of pathos: arousing pity from vulnerability - and NOT 'ridiculously inadequate')
I'm not a particularly emotional person, but to see these creatures trying so hard and for so long to regain their queen - well, I found it very moving indeed.
LJ
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The bees have been outside a lot lately. Just all over the outside of the box. The hive isn't all the way filled yet, but I put a new deep box on the top because it looks like they might swarm.
I thought there was a picture on my phone, but it basically looks like this image, Just more concentrated on one side
So do I have this right.... the picture is not even of your hive, it is just an internet picture? And you are asking about the behavior of a hive that looks similar to yours? And you title it washboarding and mention nothing of the bees movement if any which is the major behavior of washboarding?
I guess I am the only one confused :oops:
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Sorry. I don't get to my hive all the time. It is at my mom's house. Here is a picture from today. Fewer bees than before but it's nice and sunny now so more are out working. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170623/1b34af942936c50032fa3a071c8eaa73.jpg)
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I've seen that on 1 of my hives as well. It is only in the evening and at night though. There's lots of space inside. Is this something I should be worried about?
Late afternoon / evening.....they are doing cleansing flights, stretching their little legs, newly hatched.......after working in the hive a while become foragers and will need orientation flights.
Like mentioned above.........do they have ventilation?
When you say washboarding.........do you mean checkerboarding? Where you place a new frame-existing frame-new frame - existing frame
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Looks like the hive is tilted back, needs to be higher in the back to shed rain
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"When you say washboarding.........do you mean checkerboarding? "
Capt,
Washboarding is when the bees are what looks like a dance on the hive. Looks like they are cleaning a spot over and over again.
Right now my flow hive front is covered with bees washboarding. I need to remove a couple of brood frames and give them space to work and build wax in the the hive. I don't want to add a super because I want them to fill and cap the flow section.
Jim
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"When you say washboarding.........do you mean checkerboarding? "
Capt,
Washboarding is when the bees are what looks like a dance on the hive. Looks like they are cleaning a spot over and over again.
Right now my flow hive front is covered with bees washboarding. I need to remove a couple of brood frames and give them space to work and build wax in the the hive. I don't want to add a super because I want them to fill and cap the flow section.
Jim
Ok got it, mine just like sitting on the porch.........I see a few more Paper Wasps returned.....Time to suit up again, this time I am going to squash them a bit and put their bodies in the traps.
They sure know the Pheromne, right after I killed one, the other one was hovering over that spot until I got that one also
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Sorry. I don't get to my hive all the time. It is at my mom's house. Here is a picture from today. Fewer bees than before but it's nice and sunny now so more are out working. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170623/1b34af942936c50032fa3a071c8eaa73.jpg)
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On a side note, the box doesn't seem to put together properly (nailed or glued).
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They are ventilated and some of the gathering is on the seams. Not much at all today. I just wanted to make sure that they weren't going to bolt!
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Is your box held together with anything..? Looks like no nails or glue or anything in the joints
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After reading the last post, I zoomed in. I dont see any nails heads nor staples were used at all. Appears only tge dove tailing is all holding things together. You may want to check and address that.
As far as your bees being out. I cant say if it right or wrong or good or bad but I can say I have seven hives. Each one does as your photo to some degree. Some hives more, some less. Some like they are drunk zoombies sweeping, some like they are mad rearing up at all incoming. Some spread out, some clustering. Last year I had two hives. They done it, but mainly in the heat. This year seven hives and it began late spring even on 50-60 degree nights and rain. I guess all is well. They are still there and seem happy. Been doing it for months.
My guess, all is well, and your like me, new beek gitters. Address the box. Before it comes apart.
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It seems to have stopped separating at this point. I was nervous about nailing it shut when they are active. Was thinking when it got cold again so they were a little sluggish. The direction said I didn't have to, but I should have known not to believe them. Lol
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As far as the hive seperating, and wanting to wait til winter, you could put a strap around. It appears its dove tailed so the front can not come off forwards, but the sides could move outwards with expansion/contracting ftom rain, moisture, heat, cool, etc. Or if you have another deep box just swap the frames over to the new box, and then you can address it correctly. If not able to do either, hopefully the bees have glued up the gaps with propolis and that'll help hold.
Good luck.