Outside Activities

In my online reading, I learned...

Bees fanning with bottoms up, are helping new forager bees to orient to the hive.
Bees fanning with bottoms down, are circulation the air.
Bees washboarding (appearance of licking) are cooling off the hive.

Hot Temperatures

Earlier today I watched as several bees stood on the entrance board with their heads pointed in and their tails pointed down and their wings beating rapidly.

Temperatures reached 90 degrees today. I wondered why the bees were fanning outside the hive. Were they robber bees, telling the gang where to find the honey? If they were fanning to cool off, why were they outside the hive?

Upon opening, I can see the hive quarters are very crowded.

There are even many bees at the back of the hive near the camera. I used to adjust the camera with bare hands, but I won't be doing that today.

I took out the false wall and opened up the whole hive to the bees.

Using the crowbar, I shifted all the bars back far enough to insert two empty bars in front. The bees festooned from the front wall to the moved comb.

 

Before I inserted the two bars, bees were bearding at the entrance. Afterwards they moved in.