Sunday, June 28, 2009

What is this actrivity?

I had planned on going into the hive today and check things out before adding another super. I was not ready early on and then the US Soccer game came on and I could not leave that. It was a good match of two different halves. Unfortunately the US was good in the first half and Brazil was better in the second half. With a game this close there was no leaving until it was over.

I started to gather my gear and set it up near the hive. Being new at this I need everything. After had it all on the table I remembered the time of the day. I have seen the bees orienting themselves to the hive around 3P it was after 2P. I did not think it would be wise to get into the hive while they were orienting. Then I looked at the hive "porch" and noticed an odd cluster of bees. Check out the video. They are mainly on one side of the entrance with only a couple of them on the other end. They stay in one spot and rock back and forth, occasionally moving forward but mainly backward. What they remind me of it a kid on a bicycle for the first time. Maybe they are juvenile bees getting ready for their first flight or how to do the Bee Dance,
The adult foragers ignore them and occasionally land on them before entering the hive. From time to time what appears to be an adult goes and checks each of the kids. I think I saw a couple of them fly off but could not be sure and I did not observe the daily orientation flights. Maybe they left early or will go later.

Just checked with my photographer and she cannot make it today so the inspection will occur tomorrow with handy dandy little camera. No point in disturbing them unless I have to.




The video runs almost a minute but you will see all the good stuff in the first 30 sec or so. Part of the time I was trying to stop recording and shooting away from the main activity and at the ground

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