Any thoughts why they are doing this at night?

[barry42001]

Ok so I know about bearding, and washboarding, but one colony calmly beards, the other crawls all over the outside of the hive ( this is the defensive colony ) . They both eventually settle in, but the defensive one takes many hours after dark to do so. Wonder what's going on to elicit this reaction? Nothing is disturbing them here as of yet.

Taken at 1155PM this night

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[barry42001]

Taken 12AM last night

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[riverbee]

they're hot barry, and there's no room for everyone on the front porch?..........

[apisbees]

these are hives you just moved less than a week ago? are the taking off flying at night other than in to the fight that you are shining at them?
with bearding the bees stay more clustered like by the entrance, but the wandering is a strange behavior. are the attracted to one side or all sides. Is their a large light source attracting the bees like a yard light.

[barry42001]

Not normal bearding, no lights  near by and not intense enough to reach into backyard. This hive was very defensive on moving day, inadvertently disturbed carpenter ants who ran all over the hive including into hive with predictable results. Took 40 some odd stings that night from that hive. But that was done and over sunday morning.  Other hive was calm. So I don't know whats up. Both hives seem fine aside from that behavior

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[Gypsi]

Company entering via the tipped lid setting them off?

[barry42001]

There is always a welcoming committee there...always

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[Jen]

I'm thinking possibly the ants? could there be left over ants inside, or maybe even laid eggs inside? a thought?

[Gypsi]

They act recently robbed.

I don't tip lids, I have summer and winter lids, summer with SBB and feeder screened migratory top allows ventilation and bees aren't as hot from being defensive.

[Intheswamp]

Barry, have you witnessed them come out and cover the hive or have you only walked up and "discovered" this after it has happened?

The reason I ask is that one evening/night I got smart and decided I would mow the grass around the hives.  It was dark, bee's don't fly in the dark...right?  I had a red headlamp I would wear.  Great plan!!!!  I hopped on the trusty old John Deere and rode down to the hives.  I made the first pass behind the hives (they're laid out in a straight line).  The second pass was in front of the hives.  I turned and came back around behind the hives and looked at the first one I was beside....there was what looked like a thick bee carpet all over the hive.  As I proceeded down the row the other hives had followed suit.  As I turned and started down in front of the hives for the second path I noticed a bee, er, uh, bees (plural) crawling on my legs in the dark.  Hmm, nobody told these bees that they weren't supposed to fly at night!!!!   It was a very CREEPY sight/feeling seeing all those bees crawling on the outside of the hives and knowing there were some crawling on me...and all this by the eerie glow of the red headlamp.    I shagged it back to the house!!!! 

I wonder if something isn't aggravating your bees....  A "fume" floating in to them...I wondered about my mower's exhaust.  A skunk visiting though I'm not sure they would cause such a thing...I know my mower probably created a vibration that they felt.

Something causing them to explore/patrol the outer surface of the hive.

Ed

[Gypsi]

Ed has a point. Having recently moved a hive at night, they come out, just pour out, and cover the box at the first sound or vibration of an intruder.

[tbonekel]

I have a hive that is doing something very similar to this, but they are not all over the hive like yours. They are more on just the bottom deep, but not really bearding like the other hives. They are pretty evenly distributed. I tried to mow the other night about 7. I made one pass about 20 feet in front of the hives, came around and the bees from this hive came after me big time. I stopped the mower about 50 feet from the hive and had to run in the house. It took them a good long while to calm down. They really lit me up!

[Jen]

tbone- "I stopped the mower about 50 feet from the hive and had to run in the house. It took them a good long while to calm down. They really lit me up!

   Good Grief!   

[LazyBkpr]

wow really?
   I mow right past the hives during the day. Have never had so much as a bee bounce off my forehead..  If they ever do come after me when I mow they may find a big fire lit under their hive with screens on the front...   I dont like aggresive bees..  I understand there are things that upset them, and situations when they are more prone to being aggressive, but honestly.. I mow RIGHT past the front of the hives.. mower blowing grass away from the hives....
   Barry..   I have never seen that behavior so not sure what to tell you..  If it was me I would keep an eye on them and see if it subsides after a little more time has passed. Do a good inspection next time its due, make sure theres a queen etc, etc...  Not sure what else to suggest....

[Jen]

Mee Too about the mowing, doesn't bother them a bit. I to would be concerned if you can't get close to them without running into the house. Bad Donkey Bee's right there! 

[Intheswamp]

I have gentle bees, but it sounds like you have some real cream puffs, Lazy.  My bees have never chased me and are very well mannered during inspections.  I've probably had ten or twelve stings this year so far (only have eight hives).  But, a mower passing in front of their entrances tends to draw a few of them out, not many, but enough so that I wear protection and usually mow after doing an inspection (I might as well use the fresh smoking to my advantage).  Thinking about it, though, I don't recall getting stung while mowing nor really that many coming out of the hives at me.  Maybe my bees are just a little mean after all, probably because I make'em live in a briar patch?

Barry, if you have a game camera or a friend who has one and your hives are in a safe (no thieves/vandals) place you might set it up for several days and see if something is harassing the hive.  I think I might set mine up just to see what passes through their during the day/night...it might be interesting.

Ed

[barry42001]

providing I'm not standing in front of the hive, I have no issues with the bees at all, neither hive even sends out Scouts to investigate me. what you're seeing there is purely a nighttime situation. and I've never seen anything like it, except when these are being disturbed by animals at night on a regular basis, skunks, opossum, raccoons but that's not the case here. I just don't know.

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[tbonekel]

Since I didn't mow any more that evening, I have since tried to mow once again. Didn't set them off, but I haven't mowed up to the hives yet. I'm guessing it just wasn't a good night for them. It certainly wasn't a good night for me.

[Gypsi]

Mow in daytime around noon when most of the guard force is off gathering, and if necessary a suit can help out a LOT. They can sting that mower all day and doesn't hurt it a bit.